Top reasons I love a good pre-made pizza crust:

1. My meal is ready in less than 10 minutes.

2. There are fewer dishes.

3. Pizza.

4. There are FEWER DISHES! 

5. Literally, prep time takes no work. 

It’s amazing how the food industry is expanding by the minute and healthier products like this are readily available. Have you guys tried making cauliflower crust yet? I don’t know about you, but it’s messy and I can’t ever get the texture right.

Ever since I started grad school two years ago, I’ve always been on the search for the healthiest options that are also convenient – and believe me, they’re out there! I get it – sometimes we’re just looking for an easy way out on busy days, and that’s totally okay. It’s definitely a good thought to prepare meals to have ready for the week, but don’t let the media trick you into thinking that if you don’t have a perfectly prepared tupperware of chicken and roasted vegetables in the fridge, you’re doing it wrong. It’s okay to take the easy way out every now and then – breathe!

Like I said, the industry is making it easy to do so in a mindful way. Case in point: these pre-made crusts from Califlower Foods. While I obviously still cook (but let’s be real, 1 pan meals are my EVERYTHING), there a few healthy grab and go places I like to frequent in the Chicago area for a healthy prepared meal like Snap Kitchen, Kitchfix, or the delivery service Eat Purely. 

Question of the day: are you the type that goes for sweet or a savory breakfast? 

I may be in the minority, but I 100% have more of a savory palette. It can be hard when you scroll through Instagram every morning and see overly decorated bowls of oatmeal or pancake stacks – the media likes to play mind games on us! Social media is always such a beautiful and disastrous place – highlighting healthy food, but also over-glorifying it as well. While there’s nothing wrong with a wholesome bowl of oatmeal or homemade pancakes (or satisfying a sweet tooth in the morning), there are so many benefits to eating a savory breakfast. 

Enter one of our favorite proteins, the lovable egg. 

While our body needs carbohydrates to survive and function (Oprah..I love bread too!), you may find that eating just a bit more protein might help you curb your sugar cravings later in the day. Obviously we’re not stopping at just breakfast – eggs are great for anytime of the day (last night I ate eggs for dinner..and again the night before! #gradschoolprobs)  With 6 grams of high-quality protein and 13 essential vitamins and minerals, it’s no wonder a staple in most kitchens around the world (Source: The American Egg Board).  

A recent study from the Journal of Nutrition showed that the consumption of whole cooked eggs with a meal that contains foods with Vitamin E (such as mixed vegetable salad) increased absorption of vitamin E. 

What’s one food that you can eat everyday and can never get tired of? Let’s gather around and say it together in harmony….

….sweet potatoes.

Also known as my comfort food of choice and my favorite vitamin A packed carbohydrate. The beauty of a sweet potato is that you can turn it into any meal, but on the menu lately? These delicious and flavorful sweet potato cashew cakes. 

How is May already halfway over?

Memorial Day is coming up which means I’ve got a countdown calendar on my phone telling me how many days I get to live in white pants again. Not that I’m a fashion rule follower by any means, but officially wearing white bottoms means that summer is here and a) I’m getting ready to be on a boat for at least 13 hours that day while b) eating all the picnic foods. (Keeping my fingers crossed I don’t spill anything on my white pants. Seriously, it would be miracle if I actually didn’t.)