the salad dressing experiment: tahini goddess dressing

Next up in the salad dressing experiment is this creamy, dreamy tahini goddess dressing.

This dressing will satisfy your craving for a creamy-based topping in a healthy and protein-packed way. All you need are some basic ingredients and a blender. Originally, I served this dressing with a simple spinach lettuce salad alongside vegetarian-based pizza. I figure the tahini gave this meal a needed extra hit of protein and healthy fats.

Ingredient line-up: apple cider vinegar, tahini, olive oil, coconut aminos (feel free to use soy sauce), garlic powder, dried parsley, and lemons.

Into the blender goes the tahini.

In goes the olive oil.

All the ingredients get tossed inside the blender.

Blend it up!

Ready for consumption.

Tahini Goddess Dressing (original recipe here)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tahini
1/2-1 cup water (depends on how thick you want it, I used 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup olive oil
5-6 T fresh lemon juice
2-3 T apple cider vinegar
2 T coconut aminos or soy sauce
2 T dried (or fresh) parsley
1/4 t garlic powder

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend away! Enjoy.

the salad dressing experiment: lemon oregano vinaigarette

As you may have read (or should certainly read now), I recently started experimenting with creating my own salad dressings and began the salad dressing experiment. First up, lemon oregano vinaigrette.

This easy dressing required no special equipment and is a great use for leftover fresh oregano. This dressing is simple, delicious, and fresh. Originally, I served this dressing with a mixed green salad with grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese.

Ingredient line-up: kosher salt, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, fresh ground black pepper, and fresh oregano.

Chop.

For this dressing, I used a Tupperware container to combine all the ingredients and then shook to combine. You could also use a whisk.

Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference.

Ready to shake.

After shaking!

Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette (original recipe here)

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Several sprigs fresh oregano (or substitute about 1 teaspoon dried)

Chop the fresh oregano. In a small Tupperware container, add olive oil, fresh lemon juice, cider vinegar, honey, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper to taste, and fresh oregano. Shake to combine. Enjoy.

the salad dressing experiment: introduction

Background. I haven't shared too much on the topic, but I recently realized that I am intolarent to soy and soy by-products (i.e., soybean oil and soy lecithin). This makes purchasing salad dressing (along with many other things) difficult, as many use soybean oil.

Not only that, but who wants 8 billion bottles of salad dressing taking up precious fridge space? I don't always want the same kind, and it turns out that all salad dressing really is made up of is oil, vinegar, and spices. Um, hi - I have all this in my pantry.

Lately, I've been forcing my boyfriend to eat my beautiful salad conconctions with homemade dressings. And, now he's spoiled. The other night I was just going to sit oil and vinegar on the table (like I often used to) and he used his sweet, soft, pleading voice to ask me to whip one up from scratch. What a beautiful thing that now, with a little help from Mr. Google, I can do just that.

Objective & Methods. This won't be the most scientific experiment you've ever seen. But, my objective is to try out making varities of salad dressing from scratch and rate them on taste, difficulty, and nutrition. During the process I will document each recipe and compile a database for me (and you) to draw on for future salad creations.

I hope you'll join me in stepping out of your culinary comfort zone by testing out some of these simple and (hopefully) delicious concoctions.

Stop pouring preservatives all over your fresh greens, I beg you! 

the cereal experiment: Post Shredded Wheat

I've talked before about how close frosted shredded wheat is to my heart. I used to eat massive bowls of this stuff for breakfast and lunch in graduate school (I also used to eat tuna helper twice a week, but let's not dredge up my dirty past). I've tested two variations on shredded wheat in the cereal experiment so far. This time, I went back to the classic, Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size.

Results. Sometimes, simple is best. This cereal is one ingredient, shredded wheat. In a world overflowing with fillers and preservatives, this is a truly beautiful thing. You may think that this one-ingredient cereal might also taste like dirt - but, it doesn't! Maybe it is just me, but there is something I really enjoyed about the hearty, wheat-y flavor of this cereal that I didn't even miss the lack of any added sweetener. And this is coming from someone with a sweet tooth the size of a Chick-fil-A milkshake.

If this cereal has any draw back, it turns soggy easily (as do most shredded wheat cereals). Despite this flaw, I enjoyed the fibrous squares and often found myself pairing them with a crunchier cereal partner. Compared to the other two shredded wheats (Fiber One Frosted Shredded Wheat and Kashi Autumn Wheat), I think these maintain their texture better and I certainly enjoyed their simplicity.

*Ranking System.

Post Shredded Wheat stands out in the cereal crowd with its low calorie count, fat content, price, and 0% sugar content. I'd say its taste, texture, fiber, and protein content are around average as compared to the other cereals. All things considered, Post Shredded Wheat takes an impressive fifth place finish.

In a world of overly complicated and processed foods, Post Shredded Wheat reminds me how delicious and satisfying one simple ingredient can be.

See other cereal reviews here. 

--

Lastly, I want to share with you that my boyfriend and I are in the process of developing a Cereal Ranking application - that will allow you to input your own cereal and preferences to conduct your very own experiment with a table of results similar to mine. Look for its launch soon! 

 

the 20-minutes method: results

I know you guys were starting to doubt my ability to eat slowly at all. Don't feel bad - I don't blame you, as most test methods in this experiment have been unsuccessful. Just when I was starting to lose all hope, my final method in the eating slowly experiment, the 20-minutes method came along and slowed me down.

Results. 

Well, what can I say? I'm a scientist and I like numbers. I immediately was drawn to the exactness of this method. Time 20 minutes, eat slowly enough. I think I knew from the beginning that I could do this method and do it well. 

Despite the fact that timing your meals in front of others can be a slightly awkward thing to do, this method made me completely aware of my eating pace and was...successful. For the first couple of weeks I literally started my stop watch and the beginning of every meal and continuously checked my pace as I ate. The goal was usually to be about halfway through my meal at the 10-minute mark. Many meals lasted slightly less than 20 minutes and some meals lasted longer, but overall this method completely re-vamped my eating pace. Realizing that I can't carry around a stop watch forever, I switched to checking the wall clock at the beginning of each meal and gauged my eating that way.

If I finished my meal too early, which was inevitable for some smaller meals or certain meal types, I still made myself sit with my empty plate until my timer went off before heading back to the kitchen for considering seconds. Sometimes this pause revealed to me that I was still hungry and I was able to gauge and satisfy this need without acting like a ravaging kitchen-invading beast. And sometimes this revealed that I was completely satisfied. Both realizations are life changing.

This method, I think, could be my eating slowly saving grace.

 
Have you tried timing your meals? Comment on this post and/or e-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) with your thoughts on the subject. This wraps up the last method in this experiment! Look for one final experiment 'discussion and conclusions' post in the coming weeks!

the eating slowly experiment: 20 minutes method (introduction)

Eating slowly is an elusive and complicated beast. So far I have tackled four methods for three weeks each in the eating slowly experiment. Today marks the final method as defined at the beginning of the experiment, the 20-minutes method. Brace yourselves, this one requires equipment...

No, I don't have a Garmin. Yes, I am still awesome.

Eating Slowly Method #5

Method to be Tested. Time 20 minutes and stretch out meals accordingly.

How to do it. At the beginning of each meal, time 20 minutes (the amount of time it takes your brain to register satiety). Start your timer and eat your meal slowly enough so it lasts the entire 20 minutes. I would also suggest to pause at the halfway point and assess your experience and satiety (mindful eating).

Dates for Implementation. Thursday, May 31 to Thursday, June 14.

Remember this experiment is designed to be interactive and this is the last test method so you should play along if you haven't already! No really, you should. E-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) or leave comments on this post to provide me with feedback as you try this method along with me.

 Find other eating slowly methods on my food experiment page. 

Ready, set, eat (for 20-minutes)...

the eating slowly experiment: mindful eating (results)

Three weeks pass in the blink of an eye. Or...in the scarfing of a meal. That is how long I've been practicing mindful eating as my fourth test method in the eating slowly experiment.

Results. Mindful eating is a romantic concept. Taking the time to mindfully chew, think, and process your food is the way I would certainly like to eat in an ideal world. But life isn't ideal. My life (like yours) is littered with rushed meals, stressful days, and a tired body and brain. At the end of a long day it is HARD to take the effort to think so carefully about dinner. To me it seems that mindfulness is a skill that will require careful cultivation over time. 

Here is my observation. The methods that were not concrete or measurable, like the mindful eating method or the pause and calm method, were easy to forget or skip. I even had to write myself post-it notes and scatter them around the house to remind me to eat mindfully, hence the pictures (and yes, I support radon testing). More concrete methods, with a tangible task, like the fork down method, were much more successful.

When I did manage to eat more mindfully, the meal was not only slower, but more pleasurable and satisfying.

I want to cultivate the skill of mindful eating, I do. As a result of this experiment I have been reading several books on the topic, which I hope will help me incorporate this type of behavior into my life. One book in particular, Mindful Eating by Jan Chozen Bays, has a series of meditations and experiments included with the book that I would love to attempt. If you guys have any interest in doing this together in the form of an interactive 'mindful eating experiment', please let me know. Otherwise, I will do them on my own (hopefully) and report back to you.
 

 
Do you practice mindful eating? Pretty please comment on this post and/or e-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) with your thoughts on the subject. Look for an introduction post for the final eating slowly method soon!

the cereal experiment: Kashi GoLean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble

You know you're deeply entrenched in your healthy living blog when friends and family start gifting you boxes of cereal that meet your stringent experiment criteria. When my dear sister-in-law wrapped up this box of Kashi GoLean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble and presented it to me on my recent birthday, I was more than thrilled to consider it my next test case in the cereal experiment.

Results. Kashi, you must have read my blog post when I reviewed your overly crunchy creation, Kashi GoLean Crunch!, because Crisp! overcomes all of your Crunch! cereals' limitations. No more chipped teeth or 30-minute soaking periods. GoLean Crisp! provides a perfect texture with a delightful cinnamony flavor.

Enter, a cereal tangent. {Folks can we please pause here for a second and address something that was recently emphasized to me by my dear blog friend Katie. What is with the exclamation point following the Crunch! or Crisp!? Are we that excited? Is it really that crunchy or crispy? Are we supposed to read the cereal name with emphasis? I mean, I love cereal as much as anyone, but it's cereal. Must we exclaim?}

Kashi GoLean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble is not shy on the calories, with 190 for a 0.75 cup serving. The crisp blend is a texture wonderland, with lovely large clusters, oaty bits, and crispy twigs all dusted in cinnamon bliss. Not only does this cereal do well in a traditional bowl with milk (it stays crisp), but it makes a great snack with nuts and yogurt topping.

Like all of Kashi's products, Crisp! offers fantastic nutritional stats, with a punch of fiber (9 grams) and protein (10 grams). Unlike GoLean Original, Crisp! has a higher percentage of calories from sugar, but hey, when compared to Cookie Crisp (43%; yes this is accurate), it isn't doing too bad. After everything is considered, Kashi GoLean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble walks away with a fourth place finish.

In conclusion, Kashi GoLean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble is a nutritious and delicious crisp cereal treat that will make a welcome addition to my cereal repertoire.

See other cereal reviews here.

the eating slowly experiment: mindful eating method (introduction)

Eating slowly seems like such a simple goal, but I am terrible at it. Really, really, terrible. I guess it's a good thing I still have two methods left to test in my eating slowly experiment. I certainly hope I can find a method or combination of methods that work for me. Maybe I will never be a slow eater, but I can hope to be at least a moderately-paced eater, right? Maybe mindful eating, the test method I am introducing today, is my solution...

Eating Slowly Method #4

Method to be Tested. Practice mindful eating (thinking carefully about flavors, textures, etc. while eating).

How to do it. While eating, chew each bite carefully, taking the time and thought to reflect on how the food impacts all of your senses including how it looks, feels, and tastes. Also, during each eating period, stay mindful of the overall experience including the foods nutritional qualities, your satiety, and enjoyment.

Dates for Implementation. Thursday, April 26 to Thursday, May 17.

E-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) or leave comments on this post to provide me with feedback as you use this method, or, if you already do this, how it works for you! Look for a results post around May 17.

Remember you can see the current eating slowly results table and check out the details and results for my other methods at the bottom of my food experiment page. 

Eat, reflect, eat reflect...

(image)

the eating slowly experiment: pause and calm method (results)

It's hard to believe another three weeks have elapsed during which time I have been using (or trying to use) the 'pause and calm method' as my third test method in the eating slowly experiment. 

Results. In my head: I pictured myself like this lovely girl in the photo above, calmly taking a moment before gently placing a perfectly portioned spoon of food in her mouth and taking a moment to tilt her head and take a subtle and perfect photo. In reality: I rarely remembered or had the self-control to take this small moment before shoveling food into my mouth while on the couch in my pajamas, my hair jammed in a messy ponytail. Some things aren't as easy as they seem...

This method was hard to do. At first, at least when I was eating alone, I would calmly take deep breaths before I began eating. When I did manage to do this, I found that the overall eating experience was only slightly slower. But really, it was the fork down method (which I am still using) that really made the impact.

Alternatively, when I was around others, I found this method uncomfortable and awkward to implement. I think I was asking too much of myself. Taking just a second (rather than a full minute) to stop and evaluate your plate before eating is important. But, this method certainly isn't the holy grail of slow eating. Not even close.

How did/does the 'pause and calm method' work for you? Feel free to comment on this post and/or e-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) with your feedback. Look for an introduction post for eating slowly method four soon!

(image)

the cereal experiment: Kellogg's Special K Protein Plus

I started the cereal experiment many, many months ago after realizing the cereal I was consuming every day, Special K Fruit & Yogurt, was a sugary (albeit delicious) concoction of low fiber and low protein flakes. While recently standing in the cereal aisle admiring my old love, I spotted a new addition to the Special K family, Kellogg's Special K Protein Plus. Once I realized it fit all of my criteria for a healthy cereal, I decided it would be the next test case in my experiment.

Results. A cereal story:

Sunday morning I opened my box of Kellogg's Special K Protein Plus and popped a flake in my mouth expecting flavor reminiscent of cardboard. To my surprise, a burst of flavor and sweetness struck my senses. "Oh wow!" I exclaimed to my boyfriend who was patiently watching my experimentation. I continued chewing the flake and my smile quickly turned into a grimace as I realized that flavor was coming from artificial sweetener. "What the..." I started while reaching for the cereal box. I quickly searched the ingredient list and made an unfortunate discovery. "Damn artificial sweeter," I muttered in a huff only a healthy living blogger would make. "You have to eat that cereal for the sake of the experiment," retorted my boyfriend in a statement only a healthy living blogger's boyfriend would make. Knowing he was right, I sat down and continued eating...

Sure enough, this cereal is flavored with sucralose. And, while a year ago I wouldn't have noticed - my re-vamped taste buds, now used to fairly 'clean' food, are heightened to this unnatural flavor. My taste buds were not pleased.

Despite its questionable use of artificial sweeter, I enjoyed the hearty, whole grain flavor and crunchy texture of these flakes. As do all flakes, these went soggy a bit earlier than I would have preferred, but maintained the crispness better than other flakes I have tried (I'm looking at you Golden Goodness). There are only 100 calories in the 3/4 cup serving size, which means I poured a double serving and mixed in granola. A girl cannot survive on a measly 100 calorie breakfast.

Kellogg's Special K Protein Plus has some surprisingly impressive nutritional stats. Per serving, there are 5 grams of fiber and a whopping 10 grams of protein. There is also a notable 8% of calories from sugar, which is almost half of what the other cereals contain. But, as noted above this is because although there is little sugar, there is sucralose.

I feel like its final standing as a 5th place winner is biased because my formula does not account for the artificial sweetener content. But, to be fair, based on the current formula results this cereal comes out with a good ranking.

All in all, Kellogg's Special K Protein Plus is a protein-packed sucralose-laced cereal choice that will likely not make a second appearance in my cereal bowl.

the eating slowly experiment: pause and calm method (introduction)

The eating slowly experiment, a carefully designed evaluation of a series of methods to slow down my 'eating too fast' habit, is in full swing. Although the first method couldn't slow me down, the second method, placing my fork down between bites, was relatively successful. Given that I have a long way to go in eating slowly, today marks the beginning of test method number three.

Eating Slowly Method #3

Method to be Tested. Pause and calm before eating.

How to do it. Stop, pause, and calmly breathe before diving into any meal. Specifically, I plan to pause for at least 1 minute with the food in front of me and focus on calming my energy before eating anything. I hope that this sets the tone for a focused, calm, and slow eating experience.

Dates for Implementation. Tuesday, April 3 to Tuesday, April 24.

Remember to e-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) or leave comments on this post to provide me with feedback as you go! Or, if this is a method your practice already, tell us how it works for you. I'll let you know how it goes with a results post around the 24th.

Breathe...and then eat.

the eating slowly experiment: fork down method (results)

Another three weeks have elapsed during which time I have been using the 'fork down method', the second technique in the eating slowly experiment. 

Results. Placing down your eating utensil between bites turns out to be a great way to force a slower eating experience. Although at first I felt a bit awkward and unnatural using this method, eventually I came to appreciate the between-bite pause as a moment to really enjoy the food and flavors that I was consuming.

I'm going to give it to you straight - I wasn't always perfect at this method. Sometimes I forgot and sometimes I went a few bites before placing my fork down. There were a few times when I was so ravenous at meal time that I put my fork down for a microsecond between bites - I'm pretty sure this doesn't count. But, overall, this method was easy to do and successful at creating a slower eating experience.

Not only did this method force me to eat more slowly, it also made eating enjoyable. There is something really powerful and enlightening about experiencing a meal slowly and really focusing on what you putting in your body.

Based on my readers' feedback, those that already make habit of pausing between bites raved about this technique for its ability to slow you down and really allow you to savor each bite. They were right. Personally, I really want to work at making this technique second nature in my daily life. Savor the flavor, folks. Savor the flavor.

Did any of you try this method along with me or is this something you do already? If so, please comment on this post and/or e-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) with your feedback. Look for an introduction post for eating slowly method three next week!

the eating slowly experiment: fork down method (introduction)

Scarf! That is the sound of me, still eating too quickly. 

My first method of slowing down my eating for the eating slowly experiment, didn't work nearly as well as I had hoped. With high expectations, today marks the beginning of the second test method to create a slower eating experience.

Eating Slowly Method #2

Method to be Tested. Put fork down in between bites. 

How to do it. Simply put your fork (or other eating utensil) down after each bite of food. This will force a pause between bites and an overall slower eating experience. If you are eating something with your hands like a sandwich, this means simply placing it down after each bite. I realize that this may become a bit tedious, so I am allowing myself a maximum of two bites between each pause, if necessary.

Dates for Implementation. Thursday March 8 to Thursday March 29.

Remember this experiment is designed to be interactive. So, try this method along with me as instructed above. E-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) or leave comments on this post to provide me with feedback as you go! At the end of 3 weeks look for a complete method recap post. 

Eat, pause, eat, pause, eat, pause...

the eating slowly experiment: chopsticks/small utensils method (results)

I've used chopstick and small utensils for three weeks now in an attempt to slow down my eating for the eating slowly experiment. Keep reading for my final results and please see this method introduction post for the initial rules of implementation.

Results. Here's the thing. I rock at using chopsticks. And, after three weeks of using chopsticks as a method of slowing down my eating (alongside the use of mini-utensils), I am even more of a chopsticks superstar. While this may make me a first place contender in any chopstick competition, it hasn't really helped slow down my eating. Likewise, although I can say with confidence that I prefer eating with these miniature utensils more than their adult-sized counterparts, I don't think they have helped me slow down my eating pace at all.

For me, the chopsticks/small utensils method was relatively unsuccessful at slowing down my eating pace. I also found this method fairly difficult to implement on a regular basis for two primary reasons. First, I found it difficult to remember to pack my chopsticks or small utensils on days I ate lunch at work. Second, I have only so many pairs of chopsticks and sets of mini-utensils. On a busy day, if my supply was dirty or hard to find, I found myself reaching for my normal eating equipment. I'm sorry, but there are only so many times I am willing to re-wash the same spoon in one day.

After hearing from some of my readers, the general consensus is that most enjoy using smaller utensils for daily eating. I agree. I hate going to a restaurant and being forced to use a spoon the size of my head. But, in terms of slowing down eating, I'm afraid this method (on its own, at least) isn't the solution for me.

Did any of you try this method along with me? If so, please comment and/or e-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) with your results. And, look for an introduction post for the second test method later this week!