A Pursuit of Healthy

Happy Thursday everyone! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of hearing about the presidential election already....and we're still months away from the actual election. Ah! So I've decided to make my own poll here on A Pursuit of Healthy. I would love to know what you want to see more of here! So in the toolbar to the right of your screen you will see a poll right after the "about me" section. You can choose more than one option and stay completely anonymous. And if you have other ideas that aren't listed, comment here and let me know! It would really help me when figuring out what to post here, which I literally lie awake some nights coming up with ideas.

Hey everyone! So my menu planning posts have been a little lax lately and I really apologize. Our lives have been a little crazy and honestly I've planned our meals every week, but some weeks we only stuck to it about 4-5 days because we were just pulled in so many directions. Those weeks happen!

This week shouldn't be any crazier than others (fingers crossed) so I challenged myself to getting it planned out, sticking to it, and most importantly simplifying our menu. You'll see barely any actual recipes. I feel like so many people, myself included, think they need to use recipes all the time and use a myriad of different ingredients and spices, but we know that the simple and the least ingredients used equates to healthier meals. So you'll see a lot of healthy proteins and LOADS of vegetables. I encourage you to try it yourself! Play with your meals, try new things and different food combinations and figure out what you like.


Here is everything from my grocery trip. Lots of fruits, veggies and lean proteins!
So to prep for the week, I made this skillet dish for my husband's lunches and got them all portioned out in their containers to be ready for him to grab in the morning. It's really such a simple recipe, it maybe takes 20 minutes, and I know that he's getting a healthy, nutritious lunch with a good amount of both protein and fiber.
I also chopped  up a bunch of veggies to have on hand for any stir fry's, salads or snacks during the week. I'm really focusing on sticking to a plant based diet. I've read and heard thousands of times in my education that plant based diets are the healthiest and the best for our minds and bodies, so I'm doing my best! Practice what you preach! I also whipped up a couple quick marinades and salad dressings for this weeks food. They're so simple to make and not loaded up with junk like bottled products are. I'll share those with you later!
In addition to the broccoli, cucumbers and zucchini pictures above, I also chopped up a bunch of sweet potatoes into bite-size pieces so they're easy to toss with olive oil and either roast or saute.

I hope you all have a great week and have your meal plans set and prep done!

This is one of those recipes you eat and you're like, how in the world is this healthy!?! It's so good! I'm just like every one else, a major macaroni and cheese lover, but it's been hard to find a healthier version that is still creamy and decadent and actually fulfills the craving. Well I found it!


This recipe is a delicious combo of cheese noodles and lots of roasted vegetables and it's just amazing! Feel free to use whatever veggies you like, but the combo in the recipe below is really delicious. Also, use real cheese that you have to grate yourself. It's just a better option all the way around. I don't like using packaged shredded cheese, I don't think it tastes as good or melts as good. So grate your own, get a nice little arm workout in!

Roasted Veggie Macaroni and Cheese

Prep Time: 15 min. | Total Time: 1 hour | Serves 6-8

Ingredients: 
1 large red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 yellow squash or zucchini, de-stemmed and diced
1 small head broccoli florets, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 (8-oz) package button or baby portabella mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
1 (12-oz) can 2% evaporated milk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
Pinch of cayenne
12 oz. elbow macaroni (or any shape of pasta)
1 tbsp. butter
8 oz. freshly-grated smoked or sharp white cheddar cheese (I used the Cracker Barrel brand)
1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet, or two medium sheets, with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 

In a large bowl, toss all of your diced veggies with olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper then spread all the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Place the garlic cloves into the center of a separate sheet of foil, drizzle with a little olive oil, and wrap the foil around the cloves to make a sealed packet. Place this in the center of the baking sheet. You're going to roast this garlic and when it's done it'll be amazingly soft and delicious. Bake the vegetables and garlic packet for 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are sot and have started to get a little brown around the edge. Stir the veggies around halfway through the cooking time to prevent sticking. 

Alright, are you ready for the hardest recipe ever!? It's tough. It involves a crock pot, a pork tenderloin, and salsa.....that's it. I love this recipe! I have been making this pork tenderloin in the crock pot for years. It is so flavorful and easy and really makes the best tacos ever. Here is everything you'll need:

Seriously, easiest thing you'll ever "cook". I don't know even know how to type out a recipe because this isn't really a recipe, but here goes.

Crock Pot Pork Tacos

Total Time: 4-8 hours

Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin (I bought a 1 lb tenderloin for the 2 of us)
1 jar of your favorite salsa (for a smaller tenderloin, use approx. 1/2 the jar)
Corn or flour tortillas
Taco toppings: lettuce, cheese, onion, tomato, avocado, black olives, salsa, sour cream

Preparation Instructions:
Place pork tenderloin in the crock pot. Pour salsa over the tenderloin. Cook either on low for approximately 8 hours, or on high for approximately 4 hours. When tenderloin is finished cooking, shred with 2 forks (it just falls apart so you could probably just stir and it would shred), stir and leave in crock pot with salsa and juices for about 10 more minutes.

Serve with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy! This meat is really great in tacos or also in burrito bowls, if you make some cilantro lime rice. Mouth watering over here!

This "recipe" I'm sharing with you today is one that saves you money and crap in your food! I like doing things the right way, usually meaning completely homemade, even if it takes me a little bit more time and planning. Canned beans is an area where this comes in to play. We use a lot of beans in our house, all kinds, and that equates to quite a bit of money and also sodium and preservatives in our food. Here are a few reasons why I use dried beans in my cooking:

1. Price - Bags of dried beans are extremely cheap. The bag of black beans I used this week was maybe 99 cents...I honestly think it was cheaper then that, I just can't remember. Cans of beans can be anywhere from $1-2 depending on the brand you get, and typically you use one can per recipe. One bag of dried beans typically gives me 3-4 cans worth of cooked beans. After cooking them, I portion them out into 2 cup portions (since cans are typically 15.5-oz, or just under 2 cups) and freeze them for using later. So each 2-cup portion then turns out to cost me around 25 cents. Awesome!!
2. Sodium - Dried beans are just that, dry. They are not put in solutions of salt and water in a can to sit on a shelf for who knows how long. I did some homework on the sodium content in some popular canned black beans. Regular Bush's brand black beans have 490 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup. The reduced sodium can still has 240 mg per 1/2 cup. You know how much sodium a bag of dried black beans has? Virtually none. Sure I add about a tablespoon when I cook them (the whole bag), but that's nothing in comparison to canned beans. 
3. Taste Better - My husband and I both agree, the homemade beans taste better! When I cook them initially, I don't add much, just some onion, garlic and a little salt, but they honestly do taste better then canned. And they make my house smell freaking amazing!
4. Easy! - Despite what people think, cooking dried beans couldn't be easier. I know the whole "soaking" process can sound intimidating, but it's not like you're standing there watching them soak or even doing anything. You're putting the beans in a bowl of water and letting them sit and soak. No attention needed. And then after they soak, you just put them in the crock pot and let them sit. Again, no attention needed!

Homemade Beans in the Crock Pot

Allow the beans to cool completely and then portion them out into containers. My grocery store has these nifty plastic, BPA-free, containers that are 2 cup portions already which makes my job really easy! You don't need to put all of the liquid in with them, but I would add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, mainly to keep the beans moist. The beans can then be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Done!


When you're ready to use them, thaw the beans overnight in the refrigerator. Or if you didn't plan ahead, you can thaw them a bit quicker by putting the container in a sink filled with warm/hot water. For most soups and casseroles, you can add the frozen beans right to the recipe, no need to defrost. I really hope you give these a try! You'll notice a major taste difference, and they are not hard to do at all! Happy bean cooking!

Oh! Did you notice the nifty little subscription option on the right hand side of the screen? You can enter your email and then you'll be notified whenever I post something new! Yay!

Happy Wednesday everyone! It's been a crazy couple of weeks getting into the swing of things at school, so I apologize for my little break in posts. I'm working on finding a balance between spending every waking moment reading research articles and doing homework and actually, ya know, living.

I wanted to share this really awesome, easy recipe with you today because it has become one of our favorites and I think you'll really like it too! When I first found this recipe, I wanted to make it because it was a good, quick dinner option for us that didn't involve the usual carbohydrates of rice and potatoes. It involves a potato, but I almost don't include sweet potatoes in my head as a traditional carbohydrate because of all the additional vitamins and fiber it provides. I'm trying to show options to you all that don't have to necessarily involve the typical Midwestern meat and potatoes diet.


I remember when I made this the first time, I actually apologized to my husband and forewarned him that it might not be good. I was worried that the ground turkey and sweet potato would be an off combo in this form, and that the turkey would be really bland since there are little to no seasonings in the recipe. I could not have been more wrong about this recipe. It's delicious!! Luke loved it so much that he asked if I could make it on Sunday's to pack up for his lunches for the week. It really couldn't be simpler and it's very good. Just serve with a veggie of some kind or a big salad and you'll have a fast, delicious, wholesome meal! Enjoy!

Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet

Prep Time: 15 min. | Cook Time: 15 min. | Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. extra-lean ground turkey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups sweet potato, diced
Salt and pepper
A pinch of chili pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Parsley for garnishing

Preparation Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Give a pretty generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add onions and peppers and cook until the onions are golden brown.

Add the sweet potato, chili pepper, salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook until the potatoes are tender. Sometimes I'll add a splash of water, maybe about 1/8 cup, and put the lid on to help the sweet potatoes steam and cook faster. Stir occasionally.

When sweet potatoes are fork tender, add mozzarella cheese and place the lid back on the skillet to melt. Garnish with parsley and serve

This is a nice and easy one pot dinner for those weeknights when you don't have a lot of time to devote to cooking. I love one pot meals and I REALLY love anything with corn and black beans. I originally found this recipe as a good meatless option, but had leftover diced chicken in the fridge, so I added it in at the end and cooked for an additional 5 minutes or so until it was heated through. So good!
Here are all of the ingredients you'll need. Don't be intimidated, I know it kind of looks like a lot, but it couldn't be simpler. I already had some veggies cut up from my Sunday meal prep, so that took out a couple steps right there!

Skillet Mexican Brown Rice Casserole

Prep Time: 10 min. | Cook Time: 30 min. | Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
Pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
Pinch of cayenne, or to taste
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup quick cook brown rice
1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained well
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 to 2 cup freshly shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preparation Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to soften. Add in the bell pepper, jalapeno, corn, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt and cayenne. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add in the tomato paste and brown rice and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring almost constantly.

Add in the drained tomatoes, black beans and broth and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and let simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until almost all of the broth has been absorbed by the rice (and the rice is tender). This will take a bit longer if you're not using instant rice.

Remove the cover and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Recover and cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Garnish with cilantro before serving.