What I Ate Today: Ashley P.

Holistic Squid weighs in with a nutrient-dense spin on Ashley P's diet. Ashley, age 32, is a mom of two from Los Angeles, CA.

Breakfast – Oat Waffles, made with oat flour and leftover steal cut oats & kefir, topped with homemade apricot spread; eggs over easy.

Snack – Fresh fruit at the Hollywood Farmers Market – gava melon, honey crisp apples, peaches and grapes – raw colby jack cheese and goat cheese.

Lunch – Rainbow Sushi Roll and Kale Salad – Courtesy of Whole Foods.

Snack – Seared Figs topped with bacon & blue cheese

Dinner – Grilled Coho Salmon, green beans with pine nuts and goat cheese, roasted yams with pumpkin pie spice.

Dietary History – ?

Dietary goals – To make wholesome food that my family will love.

Challenges – Finding time to cook with two little ones.

Holistic Squid says…

Hi Ashley! First of all, let me congratulate you not only on making two gorgeous children but managing to eat three decent meals per day plus snacks whilst caring for them. It's clear from your choices that you are not only health conscious, but you also appreciate the joy of good food as well. Kudos on the homemade efforts at breakfast and dinner, plus the local finds at the farmer's market. You've also done a great job incorporating healthy fats in the eggs, cheese, bacon, and oily fish.

Here's a few ideas that you may or may not already be incorporating – let us know in the comments below!:

Cook ahead – To limit the need for last minute (and usually pricey) Whole Foods' lunches, prepare a crock pot meal or casserole that requires little hands on time and provides you with multiple meals throughout the week. Tis the season for soups which – when made with homemade stock – pack a powerhouse of nutrition while providing satisfying meals that are great as leftovers too.
Soak Your Oats – To reduce the phytic acid content (an anti-nutrient found in grains, legumes, and nuts), soak your steel cut oats the night before you cook them with a heaping spoon of wheat or other flour to maximize the benefits.
Add Some Culture – To include some healthy probiotics in each meal, incorporate some more cultured veggies or drinks. Kefir is a great example of this, especially when homemade with raw milk from grass-fed cows and kefir grains. Some other ideas are cultured sauerkraut or kimchi (that you can buy at Whole Foods), gingered carrots or pickled beets (easy to make at home), and/or kombucha and other fermented drinks like water kefir and fermented lemonade. Cultured foods take more planning than actual hands-on time, and they make a fun project for when your kidlets get a bit bigger and want to help in the kitchen.
Choose eggs, fish and meat from local, pasture raised sources – If you aren't already, get your eggs from pastured hens, your meat from local pasture-raised animals, and fish that is wild and in season (like your Coho salmon). We are blessed in Los Angeles with a plethora of excellent farmer's markets that carry wonderful meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy. The trick is coordinating two kids and a household with hitting the right markets on the right days! Some of my favorite local farmers include: Dey Dey's, Jimenez Farms, Linder Bison, and Organic Pastures. Lindy and Grundy is an incredible butcher in Hollywood that specializes in local, pasture raised meats.

Thanks, Ashley! You go mama!

Would YOU like to have a Holistic Squid, nutrient-dense spin on what YOU ate today? Send me your name, age, home town, and occupation plus your list of breakfast, lunch, snacks, supplements, dietary goals, and challenges to info at holisticsquid dot com.

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