Dawna Stone

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How to Lose Weight

Roasted Cauliflower and Spinach Salad

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Roasting vegetables is so satisfying. It's super easy to do and it changes the taste, texture, and look of the veggie to create a completely new version.

Sometimes I roast veggies without knowing what I'm going to do with them. In this case, I had a craving for cauliflower and bought a good looking bunch at the local market. After roasting them for 25 to 30 minutes, I scoured the refrigerator and pantry to see what else I had on hand. I ended up with this delightful spinach salad with carrots, dates, and pine nuts and a simple, homemade dressing.

So satisfying and so healthy.

P.S. If you want to jump start your healthy eating or lose a few pounds, check out my quick and simple 5-Day Detox!

IMG_1402Roasted Cauliflower Salad sml

Roasted Cauliflower and Spinach Salad
Servings
2
Servings
2
Roasted Cauliflower and Spinach Salad
Servings
2
Servings
2
Ingredients
Salad
Dressing
Servings:
Instructions
Roasted Cauliflower
  1. For the roasted cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, olive oil, and sea salt. Mix until cauliflower is coated. Line the baking pan with parchment paper and spread cauliflower pieces evenly across the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
Salad
  1. In two bowls, divide the spinach, carrots, dates and pine nuts evenly. Top with roasted cauliflower.
Dressing
  1. In a jar with a lid, mix together the olive oil and vinegar. Add the salt and pepper, cover with the lid and shake well before serving.
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Homemade Granola

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Homemade granola with coconut, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds? What more could you need or want? Pair it with your favorite yogurts or smoothie bowls for a picture perfect breakfast.

P.S. If you're looking to jump start your healthy eating or lose a few pounds, join my quick and simple 5-Day Detox!

 

Homemade Granola
Servings
6
Servings
6
Homemade Granola
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 15” x 10” baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut flakes, almonds, pumpkins seeds, and flax seeds. Mix well.
  3. In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, honey, and vanilla and mix well. Pour over the oat mixture, stirring well to coat.
  4. Spread the granola in the pan as evenly as possible. Bake, stirring once, for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
  5. Remove the pan from the oven. Let the granola cool completely on the pan. Store in an airtight container.
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Green Smoothie Bowl

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I love breakfast. But I found myself eating the same breakfast over and over again, which was getting tedious. With two young kids (8 and 10) to get out the door in the morning, I need a fast and easy (yet yummy) breakfast to get my day started. Smoothie bowls are just that. Here's a Green Smoothie Bowl which I hope will inspire you and your breakfast recipes.

P.S. Want to jump start your healthy eating? Check out my quick and simple 5-Day-Detox.

Green Smoothie Bowl with Spoon sml

Green Smoothie Bowl
Servings
1
Servings
1
Green Smoothie Bowl
Servings
1
Servings
1
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. In a blender, blend together yogurt, peaches, pineapple, and spinach. Place green smoothie in desired bowl and top with kiwi, coconut, and flax seeds.
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Chia Pudding Bowl

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Here's another great breakfast bowl to add to your morning meal rotation. Topping the chia pudding with your favorite fruits and seeds makes breakfast exciting again! The bowl is amazing cold or warm.

P.S. Want to jump start your healthy eating? Check out my quick and simple 5-Day-Detox!

chia pudding bowl

Chia Pudding Bowl
Servings
1
Servings
1
Chia Pudding Bowl
Servings
1
Servings
1
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, milk, honey, and chia seeds. Place in refrigerator overnight.
  2. In the morning, top with pumpkin seeds, blueberries, apricots, and _____ seeds. Enjoy!
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Gluten-Free Cherry Vanilla Oat Bread

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If you’re like me and love the combination of cherry and vanilla, you’ll be head-over-heels for this Cherry Vanilla Oat Bread. It’s not too sweet which makes it the perfect breakfast choice, but it’s just sweet enough that it also makes a great mid-afternoon snack or after-dinner treat.

With two little kids at home, I’m always well stocked on bananas, as they’re a quick grab-and-go snack. But this also means I often find myself with bananas that are too ripe for the kids’ taste. I found a great way to use up my over-ripe bananas and at the same time make my bread recipe extra moist without adding any dairy.

On Plate 1200x1200  Wet Ingredients 1200x1200  Pre-Baked 1200x1200 Overhead in Tray2Two Slices 1200x1200 v2

Cherry Vanilla Oat Bread
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Servings
12
Servings
12
Cherry Vanilla Oat Bread
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Servings
12
Servings
12
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and short ends of an 8” x 4” loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly coat with olive oil.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the mashed bananas, honey, almond milk, coconut oil and vanilla extract.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir gently to combine. Fold in all but 10 to 12 cherries.
  5. Pour the batter into the pan and scatter the remaining cherries over the top of the loaf.
  6. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
  7. Set the pan on a rack for 10 minutes to cool. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool completely on the rack before slicing.
Recipe Notes

(Make sure to mash the bananas before you combine them with the other wet ingredients. I’ve made the mistake of just tossing in the bananas before and although it works, it can get a little messy.)

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Trigger Foods – Are they Sabotaging Your Diet?

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Chocolate Chip CookiesIt’s not always easy to change familiar eating habits. Most of us have a few foods that always seem to sabotage our diets. For me, it’s anything containing chocolate. I’ve learned from trial and er­ror—some big errors, might I add—about how to cope with my trigger foods and prevent them from ruining my well-in­tentioned habits.

Years ago, I read that the best way to regain self-control with a certain food was to keep an abundance in the house. The theory claimed that if you had several packages readi­ly available and didn’t declare any food forbidden, then you wouldn’t feel like you had to eat the entire portion in one sit­ting (since there would be more at your disposal to eat at any time). So I decided to give it a try.

The concept seemed to make sense, and the article touched precisely on the reason I often consumed an entire box at once. I always planned to start living healthily “tomorrow,” so I thought I had to overindulge before enforcing those limita­tions. To test the theory, I went out and bought three boxes of Double Stuf Oreos.

That night I enjoyed a few cookies before putting the first package back in the cupboard next to the other two. Imme­diately I thought, “Wow, this really works.” Yet a few minutes later, I returned to the cupboard for a couple cookies and then again for a few more. Before I knew it, I had finished the first bag and gotten into the next. I felt sick and utterly disgusted with myself. So much for their theory, I thought; it may work for some, but it definitely didn’t work for me. Over the years, I’ve tried this system several more times—each time with a different trigger food—and I always end up regretting the decision.

My philosophy on trigger foods is the following: if they’re around, you’re going to eat them. If they’re not around, you won’t. That doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite foods altogether; it just means that you should reserve them for special occasions and purchase them in moderation. If you are participating in the Healthy You Challenge, removing your trigger foods will set you up for success.

I encourage you to acknowledge which foods you tend to overeat, and take them out of your house and office for just 14 days. You can incorporate these foods back into your diet after the two weeks, as no foods are permanently banned.

Whether you're doing the Healthy You Challenge or just want to eat a healthier diet, removing your trigger foods for just 14 days can help you learn how to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation. I encourage you to identify which foods trigger you to overeat. For example, I can keep a gallon of my favorite ice cream in the freezer for months without overindulging; I sim­ply enjoy a scoop when I feel like it. But I can’t keep a bag of chocolate candies or chocolate chip cookies in the house without losing control. Identify your trigger foods today!

Once you’ve determined which unhealthy foods prompt you to overeat, remove them from your kitchen. You can bring them back into your house after 14 days. You’ll be amazed at how two weeks spent improving your eating habits can permanently alter the foods you crave and your ability to make better choices.