HEALTH NUTS....PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Look up FODMAP. You might not be absorbing kale well enough and it's giving you gas. Try throwing it in a smoothie so it blends up and is predigested.

Quinoa is pronounced KEEN-WAH. Look for it in the bulk section or where the rice and pasta is if it's boxed. Also could try the gluten-free section if your store has one.

Tofu I just buy pre-made in baked form. I think if you buy extra firm tofu you want to drain it well and then freeze it. Then you thaw it and marinate it and it will take on more flavor. You can also bake it with a sauce.

Chia seeds can be found in the bulk section also. If it's packaged you might see it with the supplements. I bought a bag of it there once. I think it's like 7.99/lb but it lasts awhile.

I was surprised at how easy it was to find quinoa when I looked for it.
Target it is by the rice.
Pick n Save had it in the bulk bin and also a small bag by the rice
Woodmans had a whole "special" section for gluten free etc

This is the recipe I use... veggies and scrambled eggs mixed in with garlic. Sometimes chicken.
http://www.peasandcrayons.com/2012/03/quinoa-fried-rice-remix.html

Chia seeds I found at a natural food store near me. I actually bought a cereal that had chia seeds, buckwheat and something else that I plan to use as a topping. It was $7 which was cheap compared to the box of just chia seeds. They also had a chia kombucha (a drink) with the seeds floating in it! I was worried the texture would turn me off but I really liked it. I don't really like fish so all the omega 3s it says they have is the main attraction.

Tofu is best, imo, when you use extra firm and press the heck out of it (that was the first way I learned to like tofu, now I like to do other things with it, too).

Get a slab of it, pour the water out, put it between two plates or cutting boards or whatever flat things you have in the kitchen or house, put some stuff on top of the top plate that is a little heavy so it presses down on the tofu and squeezes the water out... then ignore it for a good long while (how long just depends on how firm and less watery you want it, people press it however long they like).

Then, marinate it like you would meat: cut it into slices or cubes, put some marinade in a dish, put the tofu in, let it sit for an hour or four... again, just ignore it until you want it.

Another way is tofu scrambles. You can find a lot of different recipes online. Basically you make scrambled eggs by cutting or smashing up the tofu into the egg consistency you want and then add the flavoring in the recipe (I like ones using dijon mustard, a little turmeric, and veggies... sounds weird but is tasty).

I always wondered how to eat Quinoa n Tofu haha

so quinoa is used like rice, cool. because i hate rice. i just eat it because it's good for me. maybe i will like this better.

i'm barely digesting the kale no matter how i make it. i'm sticking with spinach.

i really want to like tofu but every time i cook it, it;'s barely edible. the last recipe i tried was terriyake tofu. nasty.

and i will have to try the chia seeds.


i see not very many people responded to this add, i'm thinking not many people care about nutrition on this website which blows my mind. i'm trying to lose weight because i want a better better health, i want to live long. but most people on here only care about calories.

i wish they had a MyHealthyPal.

I've been on a quest to eat healthy since I was in my early 20's, for over 30 years now. This means I eat mostly organic, whole, unprocessed foods. I do eat canned organic white, black, pinto, etc beans. And I sometimes eat Annie's canned soups. But for the most part nothing out of a can or box for me.

Oh and since August 2012 I've been eating mainly vegan. Since then I've also stopped eating flour based products, which means I don't eat bread, cake, pies, cookies, muffins, pasta, etc. (I do eat Ezekiel brand flour-less sprouted grain bread and rice pasta).

My diet consists mainly of organic fresh fruits, berries, veggies, lentils, legumes, seeds, nuts, cold pressed olive oil, coconut oil, raw honey, coconut milk, cider vinegar, other organic vinegars, Ezekiel bread, quinoa, rice, millet, barley, tempeh, miso and seaweed.

As far as your questions . . .

Quinoa is an incredible food. It cooks up like a grain but it is actually considered a seed. It has a complete amino acid profile meaning it is a very good protein source. And it cooks up quick! It can be eaten like cooked cereal with fruit for breakfast. Or it can be cooked and eaten with a savory meal. I like cooking it and then topping it with cooked veggies. Or cooking it and then adding chopped raw veggies and an olive oil/light vinegar dressing. You can add it to soups, casseroles and stews. You can even make it into a dessert like rice pudding I suppose. Many recipes available online. I have a cookbook just on quinoa.

Tofu - DON'T EAT IT. Google search "soy products bad" and a bunch of articles will be pulled up regarding the dangers of soy. This includes soy oil, tofu and soy milk. However, FERMENTED SOY is very good for you. Tempeh, natto, miso are examples of fermented soy products.

Chia seeds are great in blender drinks. That's the only way I've tried them so far. They act as a thickener so they probably have other applications in cooking.

As far as the kale, I'd try adding it to a blenderized smoothie like suggested. I make them with frozen fruit, juice, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, unrefined coconut oil, and a few leaves of kale. But if this doesn't digest well, there are so many other dark, nutritious greens. If I were you I'd try another. We grow greens year round. Right now we have a row of lovely spinach in our greenhouse. Other greens to consider are mustard greens, turnip greens, arugula, watercress. Then there are other hard to find greens like purslane that are good for you. The hard to find veggies I suggest growing yourself :flowerforyou:

I eat Kale daily and I have never had gas because of the Kale. Not sure why you are experiencing gas.

Quinoa-KeenWah. You can buy it next to the rice and couscous. Follow the directions on the package. Here is an excellent but time consuming recipe. It's super tasty: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-Beet-and-Arugula-Salad/Detail.aspx But Arugula might be hard to find. I buy it at Whole Foods.

Tofu- buy the extra firm. Slice it lengthwise. Fry it in a pan with olive oil. About 6-7 minutes on each side. It's crispy! You can cut it up and put in whatever you would like.

Chia Seeds. I don't understand those. I heard you can buy them at walgreens though. I don't use them because I don't need the extra useless calories.

Easiest delicious tofu meal I make:
marinade;
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic or equivalent crushed/powder
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
Pepper to taste

1 block firm/medium firm tofu, sliced in 1/2 inch slabs

Mix Marinade in ziplock bag and then add the tofu, leave in fridge for atleast 1 hour. Grill on high heat till marinade gets crispy. The taste penetrates the tofu and it's quite yummy

I do something really similar, then bake it and I can't keep my mitts off of it.

If you have a texture issue with tofu, try freezing it before using it. Freeze, thaw, drain and press as someone suggested above. Or, drain and press, cut into ready-to-use slices or chunks, and freeze. It gives it a more hearty texture.

In terms of taste, think of it as a blank slate. It will absorb the flavors you cook it with (especially if it was pressed). To make my own baked tofu, I press the tofu and slice thin then combine some honey, tamari, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. I let it marinate for a good long time, then bake at 250 until it's browned around the edges, usually about an hour. Then I can toss it on sandwiches, salads, in with my quinoa :-) or just grab a slice out of the fridge.

If you really want to eat more tofu google around for tofu recipes for kids. Those usually are geared towards making it tasty and/or hiding it.

This is one of my favorite tofu recipes (even my husband, who normally hates tofu, loves this) -- I honestly could eat this every single day (I normally sub the vegetables for whatever I have on hand -- broccoli, carrots, etc.)

From the Smitten Kitchen blog (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/04/peanut-sesame-noodles/)

Peanut Sesame Noodles
Adapted from Gourmet, June 2002

Servings: Makes 6 side-dish or 4 vegetarian main-course servings.

For peanut dressing
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes or a splash of the hot sauce or chili paste of your choice

For noodles
3/4 lb dried soba nooodles (dried linguine fini or spaghetti will work in a pinch)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
Half a seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1 cup firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Put dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.

Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, cucumber and tofu to dressing, tossing to combine. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.