Early Morning Run: Make It Up As We Go

I wanted to cook something different for dinner last night that was healthy and allowed me to use up some of the stuff we had in the kitchen, so I put together a semi-random mix of veggies, legumes, and whole grain. Thankfully, it turned out really well! SUCCESS!

Here's the lowdown:
1 cup of organic brown rice (very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Good source of manganese, protein, and fiber).
1 can of black beans, rinsed (great source of protein and fiber)
Zucchini and summer squash (very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. A good source of vitamins and minerals including Vitamins B6, A, C, and K, Zinc, Folate and Potassium).
Carrots (full of vitamins including A, B6, C, E and K. Very low in calories)
Onion (A good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese. Also a great anti-inflammatory).

We also baked slices of a sweet potato (good source of fiber, Vitamin A, B6, and C, Potassium, and Manganese) with a tiny bit of olive oil and pepper. Well, I broiled it mostly since I had forgotten to start these ahead of the rest of the meal! Oops! Still, they turned out well.

So, this is how it turned out (I also added a pear, to round out the food groups!)

All in all it turned out really well and I think I'll make it again sometime. If you try this, definitely be sure to cook the veggies and add the beans in for a few minutes so it's all cooked and warm! Pepper is a great seasoning, but it doesn't need any salt. Very healthy and filling (meatless) meal!

This morning I headed to the farmers market and Trader Joe's after another great workout at the gym. The Folger's people were out in Union Square handing out instant coffee samples. I haven't tried the Starbucks version (not a Starbucks fan) but since I've heard these little packets are getting better, I figured I'd take one and try.