Did you eat your greens today?

Do I sound like your mom? 😉

I didn’t make it to age 43 (!) as a (overly) discerning health and wellness connoisseur without learning a few tricks.

One of which is how to get both my chocolate fix and my dark leafy greens at one time.

Greens are big business these days. (And that’s a good thing – adding them to your diet is my #1 energy boosting tip. Works every time.)

Green smoothies.

Green juice.

Green chips. (Kale, that is.)

And while I prefer eating piles of spinach so big they make my green smoothie blender spin with fear, I sometimes can’t make it happen – especially when I’m traveling.

Enter Amazing Grass Chocolate Green Superfood powder.

At home — if I’m out of fresh greens — I throw it in a smoothie or mix it with a cup of almond milk. On the road, it works just fine with plain old water. (I pack the small cup and lid from my Magic Bullet mixer so I can mix it right in my hotel room – shaken, not stirred.)

I’ve tried other greens powders and have two words: Swamp water.

Ick.

Amazing Grass Chocolate Green Superfood makes it go down much easier.

Okay, so you’ve got your greens.

But what will you make for lunch… or dinner?! (The eternal question, right?)

Here are my current (they change all the time) top three sources for simple, quick and – yes – tasty meals:

  • Health Magazine—These three recipes – Moroccan Omelet, Balsamic Lentil Quinoa Lettuce Cups, and Ginger Shrimp with Almond Sauce – are pretty versatile if you like to experiment and delicious as written too.
  • Moosewood Restaurant New Classics—I love the Instant Tamale Pie (p. 296) and the Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (p. 290).
  • Jerusalem—While this cookbook isn’t the picture of simplicity, it’s got some inspired Middle Eastern dishes, many of which aren’t as complicated as they sound. Try Shakshuka (p. 66) if you’re bored with the average egg dish; or Roasted cauliflower & hazelnut salad (p. 62) for a sweet and fresh-tasting side dish that you can make ahead and enjoy for days.

Coming up with meal ideas stymies the most organized and creative of my clients. I dedicate an entire week of my Effortless Eating Program to meal planning alone (or “meal assembly,” as I like to call it).

The trick with planning meals — as with getting greens in your body every day — is being able to short cut it when life gets in the way. Knowing where to look for ideas is half the battle.

Where have you found great meal ideas lately? Share your favorites in the comments! 

P.S. You could have fresh greens growing in your own backyard. My beautiful and talented friends Liz and Jenny at Whole Health Gardening make it easy. Check it out.

P.P.S. Several of the above links are Amazon affiliate links; but you can rest assured that I don’t recommend things unless I’ve tried them and love them. If you choose to buy them on my recommendation, I might get a referral fee… which is lovely, but not required. 🙂