One of the best things you can do for your health is to eat at home.

You can control the ingredients so you know exactly whats in your food. (Most restaurants use GMOs and cook with canola oil- which offsets your omega 3s and 6s and is linked to many of the chronic diseases we are facing today).

It is also much easier to control your portions because you can choose how much you want to eat instead of being at the mercy of the restaurant that generally gives you about 3 portions worth of food. (thats why when I eat out I generally like to order appetizers, share an entree with a friend or I eat half and have them box up the other half and save it for lunch the next day!)

You also save a TON of money by eating in. I spent $27 at the grocery store today and made food that will last me well into the end of this coming week. Most people spend $10-$15 each time they eat out! I constantly hear people complaining that they would eat healthier if it wasn't so expensive- so eat at home and you will eat healthier AND save money!

One of the biggest misconceptions with eating at home is people feel they have to be amazing cooks to do so. This just simply is not the case! I hear all the time "I wish I could cook like you, I would eat at home all the time". It is not hard to put together a meal and the more you do it, the easier it becomes. It's almost like a game to me now- I scavenge the fridge for whatever I have that I think will go together and make a meal out of it. Some of my favorite meals have come out of experimenting and throwing stuff together!

One of my favorite "fast food" meals I like to make is this

Kale Avocado Salad  I am always busy during the day between my classes and work, so I like to make a few big batches of food that keep well for a couple of days and keep them ready to go in my fridge so I have a good healthy meal to eat in a hurry. Hence the "fast food" nickname.

This salad is so quick and easy to make and it keeps well for a few days so its great to make in big batches. I love kale because it is a powerhouse of essential vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (essential in helping your body fight off cancer), is a great source of iron and it is also a great detox food. This salad also has lemons which are great for detoxifying the liver and red onions are packed full of poly-phenols which help your body fight off disease. Avocados are a delicious healthy fat that help keep you full and satisfied for long periods of time. Did I mention this salad is absolutely delicious? I crave it at least once a week. You can also throw some chickpeas or wild-caught salmon on top for some added protein.

Kale Avocado Salad

 Yields 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale (I prefer lacinato kale)

1/2 red onion- chopped

1 lemon (or lime- I like to change it up sometimes!)

1 Avocado

Himalayan pink salt (optional- sometimes I use, sometimes I don't)

Cilantro (optional- sometimes I use, sometimes I don't)

Directions:

1.     Rinse off your kale and pull the leaves off the stems. Pull apart into smaller, edible pieces.

2.     Place into a bowl. Top with chopped red onions and avocado (plus other optional ingredients if you'd like). Squeeze the lemon (or lime) all over then mix the salad, mashing the avocado like you are making guacamole. This helps get the avocado more distributed and it sort of coats the kale leaves- delicious. This will stay good for at least 2-3 days in the fridge!

Enjoy! and as always, to your health!

Courtney