Whole Grains

 I've noticed a few things lately. I thought I might save money buying primarily whole foods like fruit, vegetables, and frozen fruit for smoothies. Even discounting all the expensive additives, like Spirulina, flax seed, hemp protein and chia seeds, which are pricey but all last a long time, I'm spending way more on food than I think I ever have. What's going on?

First of all, coconut water and frozen fruit are expensive. And I go through a ton of it. I can use nearly one bag of frozen organic strawberries in one smoothie- that's 3.50. And all the in season fruit right now, which I cannot resist, like cherries and peaches, are not cheap. I eat cherries all day long. At least, in Washington, it's a sweet but short season.

And I just go through acres of produce. I was going to the fruit stand, which is pretty cheap, but you end up with a lot of over ripe and already turned produce, and mostly it's not organic.

I'm really active and I've always had a voracious appetite, but lately I've just been insatiable. I have to go to the store every day, like the French, in order to get all the fresh stuff. Then when I'm at the store and I'm already hungry I buy even more stuff I don't need.

Turns out, eating healthy is expensive. My mom gently suggested I eat more whole grains. I explained that the weird food culture out here is all about no grains, and she let me have it. "Remind those paleo people that the average lifespan of a caveman was 28." She suggested that whole grain bread and pasta, where you can actually see the grain, is very healthy, not too expensive, it will keep, and most importantly it will actually keep me full.

Later that day I read about how not eating enough proteins and carbs will trigger a primal over-eating response. That sounded familiar. I went running to the store for pasta. And then came up with this!

Eat your damn grains with your veggies summer pasta
Sautee one chopped heirloom tomatoe and one chopped onion in some olive oil
add marinated sun dried tomatoes
pepper
sea salt
spinach, why not, it just wilts and you barely notice it
when the pasta is cooked, add a few chunks of good mozzarella and let it get just a little melty
I also added some broccoli that I'd cooked in the same way I cook kale chips- rubbed in olive oil and baked on high heat with nutritional yeast.

With some white wine. That's essential. Oh, I got way full.