Gluten-free Moffles (Mochi + Waffles)

For the longest time, I have been using this recipe to make gluten-free waffles for my girls. Until the time I saw my friend, Sabrina, posts something on IG. She called her creation Ube Mochi Waffles. It's my first time to hear of that. She used glutinous rice four and coconut milk. Naintriga ako, so when I was able to get hold of ube halaya from Good Shepherd, I made sure to try her recipe.

It looks like any ordinary waffle, but when you bite into it, you will discover that it is so much better. The outside is toasted, while the inside is chewy. And please let's not forget the ube filling.

DIY: Yummiest Homemade Granola

I want my family to feel good about what they eat.  As much as I can, I serve homemade and nutrient packed food that also tastes great. Let's be honest, it's a challenge to come up with something that's healthy and yummy, too. It takes a lot of trial and error on my part.

This granola recipe is both yummy and healthy... and super easy to make pa. I promise you. It's everything that a granola should be: crispy, crunchy, nutty. It's also healthy, nutrient-packed and super-simple. After you make this one, you will never buy granolas again. 

My homemade granola recipe has ingredients like quinoa, chia seeds, flax seeds, tree nuts, etc and uses natural sweeteners over processed sugar. Golden slivers of dried mangoes and red gems of goji berries add a visual delight as well.

Earth Kitchen BGC

Having decided to embark on a clean eating lifestyle since 2013, one of the local restaurants that we love to visit is Earth Kitchen, where we appreciate their farm-to-table concept. We first learned about Earth Kitchen in 2014 when my sister celebrated her birthday in their White Plains branch. We have since been back several times; it has quickly become one of our favorites.

As I researched for Clean Eating, I realized that the lifestyle is primarily based on the idea principle of getting more nutrition from the food we eat appealed to me.  We've been trying to eat more of fresh and unprocessed foods. My husband and I are not getting any younger, and my kids are competitive athletes who really need quality food intake, and I just generally wanted the family to start eating better.

When we got an invite from the Earth Kitchen and Got Heart marketing manager, Pinky Parra, to try out their newest outlet in BGC, it was an invitation I couldn't pass up.

The Best-est Gluten Free Waffles

As you noticed I'm claiming to have the recipe for the best-est gluten free waffles. Walang kokontra, ok!:) Hahaha! But I strongly encourage you to give my recipe a try. I promise you will agree with me that it is indeed the best-est! Even my son who is not gluten intolerant have found a liking to this particular GF waffles.

Gluten-induced eczema

I've mentioned it too many times already that my girls suffer from gluten-induced eczema. All three of us went on a gluten-fast for three months, some of us more diligent than the others. Proud to say that we survived that!

My youngest daughter is so proud that ALL her skin rashes cleared up within a few weeks of gluten starvation. She used to have these marks on her upper arms, similar to the ridges on the surface of a basketball. When they appear, they would be so itchy that when she started scratching, she couldn't stop. If your kids suffer from eczema, I'm sure those itching and sugat are also not new to you. I try to limit putting steroidal cream, reserving those for the worse of attacks, which happens every now and then. The scratching would leave raw wounds on her arms, with blood staining her uniform and bed sheets. Not an exaggeration!

I am very happy to update you all that my youngest hasn't had an attack from March until now. That's four months of being itch-free!!! Woohoo! We are now slowly re-introducing gluten back to our diet. I started serving gluten once a week, then twice, then thrice. I think twice to thrice a week would be a fairly good standard to maintain.

I love baking and my kids love to eat what I bake... so I've been trying to come up with gluten-free alternative to my baked goods THAT ACTUALLY TASTES GOOD! Mahirap ha!

Gluten-Free Flour Endemic to the Philippines

Personally, I don't want to be stuck with a pantry full of expensive, imported flours which no one will touch, so I researched on gluten-free foods that are endemic to the Philippines.  And it led me to cassava starch, rice flour, sticky rice flour (malagkit), potato starch, corn starch. all of which are readily available in any local grocery, at very affordable prices.

Best-est Gluten-Free Waffle Recipe

One flour only + No Xanthan Gum

Finally! Gluten-free waffles that even my son and husband, who are not GF, are begging for. 

Recipe loosely adapted from here and here:

Makes for a very big batch, because batch cooking is the only way I remain sane with the way my kids eat.
*Best eaten right after cooking.

Dry Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup white rice flour*
1/2 cup corn starch*

3/4 cup potato starch
1-1/2 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup yogurt + 1/2 cup milk  ( I use the BTIC brand because of its thick consistency)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1-1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
non-stick cooking spray

*If you are not on a gluten-free diet, then just replace the items marked with "*" to all-purpose flour.

1. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together white rice flour, cornstarch, potato starch, baking powder, granulated sugar, salt. In small bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
2. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Blend until batter is smooth. No lumps should remain.
3. Heat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions. Spoon batter onto hot iron (amount of batter will vary depending on your iron) and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 4-6 minutes.

PHENOMENAL Tips:

1. This GF recipe works well because of the combination of the rice flour + starches. Potato starch is added to make the waffle light and fluffy. Cornstarch makes for the crispy exterior.

2. Rice flour is the cheapest available gluten-free flour. Not only is it the cheapest, it is also the one that closely resembles wheat in taste. Try to not use rice flour that's labeled as superfine because they soak up too much of the liquid and you will end up with a very watery batter.

3. The consistency of the batter is highly dependent on the texture of the yogurt and milk mixture. I adjust the yogurt-milk ratio based on the thickness of the yogurt I'm using.

Severin Waffle Maker

I am thankful that modern kitchen gadgets have simplified most of my cooking related chores because let’s face it, kitchen tasks are often time-consuming talaga ha!

Another important thing when making waffles is the kind of waffle maker you have.

My latest addition to the kitchen is my Severin Multi-Sandwich Toaster, which also doubles as waffle maker. It comes with 3 removable plates: sandwich plate, panini press plate and waffle plate.

But for now, I use my Severin Multi Sandwich maker primarily as a waffle maker. If I make my waffle batter thinner, then the waffle comes out in squares.

If my make the waffle batter thicker, then I am able to use the waffle maker and make these round waffles.

When my daughters and I first started eliminating gluten in our diet, the first to go was bread and pasta. Breaking from pasta was hard, but it was doubly hard when we had to let go of bread. So thankful for this waffle maker plus this waffle recipe.

I'm enjoying using my Severin Waffle Maker. My kids are also enjoying all the waffles that I have been making!

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QQ Alkaline Water Bottle + A Giveaway

I really think when you get to be my age, one is really made to be more aware of health issues. Consequently, a shift to a healthier lifestyle is really the order of the day. That is also what led me to be more conscious about what food I feed my family, which led me to be an advocate for Cleaner Eating.

A year ago, I was diagnosed with acid reflux. I changed my diet and avoided most of the food which aggravated my symptoms.  Included more fresh fruits and vegetables. Altered my lifestyle, including my sleeping habits, stopped wearing clothing that is too tight, and a whole lot more. I also took medicines to control the acid production. 

When I was given a 500ml bottle of QQ Alkaline Water Bottle a few months ago, I was happy to give it a try. After all, I have heard of friends who claim that alkaline water reduced the frequency and alleviate their GERD symptoms.

{TPM Kitchen} CLEANer EATING: Chia Meatball Recipe {Gluten-Free + Egg-Free + Dairy-Free}

Since the start of 2014, I've started becoming interested in substituting ingredients for healthier alternatives when I am cooking.  It just started with using less sugar and/or dairy, until I made the full transition to stop using white and brown sugar altogether, and only exclusively use organic coconut sap sugar.  I've also started using less eggs, and started using chia seeds and ground flax seeds as my egg substitutes. I find it very rewarding to be able to cook a meal or bake a treat that is more nutritious and healthier for my family.  

My kids all suffer from varying degrees of eczema, which are all brought about my certain food intolerance; specifically wheat, eggs, dairy. On our best days, we just deal with the minor discomfort of itchiness; worst days, we change bed sheets often because one kid cannot control her scratching, which leads to open scabs and blood marks on the sheets.

What I am aiming for is a healthy balance of all the food groups, and minimize (not cut out) the consumption of sugar, dairy and egg...all the usual suspects in eczema flare-ups.  I noticed that the flare-ups usually follow after we binge on pasta/bread.  If they consume too much wheat from bread and pasta in consecutive days, then they start to get a little bit of itch on their arms, so I've always been the "evil mom" who puts their consumption of wheat at a minimum.

I share my recipe for my version of Chia Meatballs that is Gluten-Free + Egg-Free + Dairy-Free

I mentioned in a previous post that I have added a new section to the blog called, CLEANer EATING

CLEANer EATING

Healthy Ideas & Yummy Recipes tested in the TPM Kitchen

What To Eat When You Want To Eat Clean

BUT let me just be clear that we are not going vegan/vegetarian... we love meat too much! Neither are we hopping on the paleo bandwagon... we also love our carbs as much!  The purpose here is just to manage our food intolerance.

One of the "healthier alternative ingredients" that has been making the rounds in my kitchen is Chia Seeds. I use to just sprinkle them on our yogurts as a topping, or make into a pudding to go with my minatamis na saba.

But while I was doing research on how to go egg-less in cooking and baking, I was delighted to learn that Chia work really well in place of eggs. When soaked in water, it produces a gel like mixture that makes for a great binding agent.  I've used chia to replace eggs on many instances since then.

There are many health benefits to adding chia seeds to your diet, which you can read in this article by the Huffington Post.

Chia Meatballs Recipe
Gluten-Free + Egg-Free + Dairy-Free

I am now sharing my recipe for Chia Meatballs. This is one of the very first recipes I've played around with... taking out the eggs, adding chia gel; taking out the breadcrumbs, and adding flaxseeds and rolled oats.  Even with all the healthy modifications, it is still very flavorful.

I make a big batch, and store them in containers good for one serving. Depends on how I am going to use them, I adjust the sizes of the meatballs. Sometimes, I make them bigger than what is shown. And when I know that I am going to use them for Shepherd's Pie, I do not bother to shape them into balls anymore.

 When I am pressed for time, I do not even shape them into balls, I just put them into containers to freeze. Take them out at a later time and shape them just before cooking.

I always double the recipe because I use this as my basic meat filling. I make them into fist-sized balls and turn them into burger patties for the kids' merienda. I can also just add some curry sauce over the patties and have Hamburger Curry Rice.

I serve with spaghetti sauce on top of pasta (or quinoa pasta if they are in the middle of an eczema attack) and call it Spaghetti Bolognese.  Sometimes, I add mozzarella cheese in the middle of the balls and make some marinara sauce to make Italian meatballs.

The kids also love it when I simmer the meatballs with some chicken broth and add some veggies. The mixture of chicken broth and beef from the meatballs, makes for a really tasty soup. Add some cheese before I serve, winner talaga with the kids!

I pour mushroom sauce over it and top with truffle oil and some more mushroom for variety.

I forego rolling them into balls and use them for the meat base of my Shepherd's Pie. So many things I do with this recipe! We also eat them as is! Yummy when dipped in raspberry or mango-pineapple jam.

I take them out whenever the kids say, "We're hungry!" It has saved me countless of times when I run out of ideas to serve them for lunch baon, or when I get home late and there's not much time to prepare for dinner.



CHIA MEATBALL RECIPE (No Eggs, No Bread Crumbs)

Meatball mixture:
500 gms ground beef ( I use sirloin)
500 gms lean ground pork (I use lomo or kasim)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sage
3 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chia seeds mixed in 2/3 cup of water
1/2 cup oatmeal (make sure it's labeled gluten free if you are trying to avoid gluten in your diet)
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 tbsp soy sauce / Bragg's Liquid Aminos

* If you have a hard time looking for chia seeds, flax seeds, Bragg's Liquid Aminos in your grocery, you can get them at Healthy Options like I do.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a cup, whisk together the chia seeds and warm water and let stand for about 20 minutes. Make sure to mix once or twice as the chia seeds tend to clump together as they start to form into a gel.

2. Mix together all the dry ingredients for the meatball. Add in the meat and the liquid seasoning. Make sure to mix well to evenly distribute the seasonings.

3. Divide into half and place in freezer safe plastic containers. alternatively, you can also roll them into balls.

4. Keep in freezer until ready to use.


Try it and lemme know how yours turn out!

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DOLE-licious Quinoa Pizza Crust Recipe {Gluten-Free}

Thank you to WhimsicalSushi for creating this custom illustrated recipe for me. 

For inquiries, email whimsicalsushi@gmail.com

Everyone in my family loves pizza! We regularly have pizza nights at home, with the toppings all lined up so everyone can just make their own pizza by liberally piling on whatever they wish. The kids love it, and consider it a treat. And I also love it because it makes dinner prep easier for me.

DOLE-licious GIVEAWAY at the end of this post!!!

 If you're a long time reader, then you must have seen that when we do pizza nights I try to serve up an assortment of toppings, from gourmet to the simple. But I've noticed through the years that my kids always request for their tried and tested combo of ham, bacon and pineapples. My kids all love Hawaiian pizza because the combination of flavors from the tomato sauce, the salty ham and bacon, and the sweet pineapples is just a winner!

Why the need for Gluten-Free?

There are more and more people who are discovering that they are intolerant to wheat and gluten. My two girls are intolerant to wheat. It triggers an eczema / skin asthma attack, so bad that sometimes it leaves my little one scratching at night that her sheets are stained with blood in the morning. If you have kids who suffer from eczema, then you surely know the heartbreak and frustration that I am feeling.

When I got the results from my Food Intolerance Test, it showed that I was intolerant to wheat, as well. That's the reason for my feeling bloated all the time. Plus my headaches were becoming more frequent.

That's when I began researching on how to use alternative flours. At first I was a skeptic because most gluten-free baked goods ask for a variety of flours. I am not a fan of having too many kinds of flour in the pantry because I know each recipe only needs a small amount of each kind of flour and most are quite expensive. Nakakahinayang if I just end up throwing them away because I couldn't use them all up.

I also know that most of them taste yuck! Let's be honest, we all heard how gluten-free food taste like, right? Dirt dry. Boringly bland. In other words, nothing we would eat if we didn't have to. Certainly nothing worthy to post in a blog about.

So I researched a lot about gluten-free recipes just so my girls and I can still enjoy our pasta, bread, cookies and pizza, but now made gluten-free! I read about a pizza crust using cauliflower, but that sounded like too much work. I found another one that said substitute with all-purpose gluten-free flour mix, xanthan gum and psyllium husk... teka lang, ano daw? xanthan what? psyllium what? Di bale na lang!

So the past few months I started experimenting. I researched online, baked, tweaked the recipe. Repeat. And then I came upon a gluten-free pizza crust recipe using only 4 ingredients. Boom!

And this one doesn't taste like it is gluten free... which means it is not yuck! Promise!

Enter the Quinoa Pizza Crust

Why you should give this a try:
1. The dough only requires 4 ingredients (quinoa, salt, water and olive oil)
2. It is very simple to make.
3. Unlike some alternative pizza crusts, this one closely resembles "the original" in taste and texture.\

The dough requires only 4 ingredients (quinoa, salt, water and olive oil) and is amazingly simple to make. It does involve a little planning ahead because the quinoa needs to soak overnight; but other than that, it’s as easy as making pancakes.

When I plan to make it for dinner, I simply just soak the quinoa first thing when I wake up in the morning to make it ready for dinner time prep. Or if I want to make it for lunch, then I just soak the quinoa after I've eaten dinner and just leave it on the kitchen counter overnight.

I used a mixture of red and white quinoa because that's what I have on hand. But you can also use just white quinoa, and the end product will have a "whiter" appearance, which will resemble "regular" pizza even more.

After soaking for about 8-12 hours, the uncooked and soaked quinoa is blended in a high-speed blender with salt, water and olive oil until smooth. The resulting mixture resembles a very thick pancake batter that bakes into a chewy, golden crust that tastes just like pizza crust made from wheat flour.

DOLE-licious Hawaiian Quinoa Pizza Recipe

illustrated recipe done by whimsicalsushi

Makes: One 10 x 15 pizza crust.
QUINOA PIZZA CRUST Ingredients:
recipe loosely adapted from here

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup water, add a tablespoonful at a time if dough is too think.
2-1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Soak uncooked quinoa with enough water to cover for 8-12 hours. Rinse quinoa
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the baking pan with heavily oiled foil. This step is important because the quinoa crust can be difficult to remove when you don't oil and line the pan.
3. Add water and salt and process in a high-speed blender until the mixture resembles a thick pancake batter.
4. Pour the batter into a baking pan covered with heavily oiled foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
5. Take out from oven and put desired pizza toppings. See below for a list of toppings for Hawaiian Pizza. But feel free to put anything you want. I've tried this using a pesto base instead of tomato, and piled it with mushrooms and cheese.
6. Put back into the oven and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Phenomenal Tips:

* Optional: For a more flavorful crust, seasonings can be added. I've tried adding 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp homemade celery salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan / or nutritional yeast ( cheese alternative if you want to make it dairy-free / vegan)

* I cannot stress enough that you have to oil the pan - heavily! After baking, I take the pizza with foil and slice the entire pizza on a wooden board. Then we peel off the foil as we get our individual slices. I find that to be the easiest way.

DOLE HAWAIIAN PIZZA TOPPINGS Ingredients:

1 cup (8 oz.) Dole Sweet Italian Garlic and Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

3/4 cup (2 oz.) sliced bacon, cooked

3/4 cup ham, cooked

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 can (8 oz.) DOLE Pineapple Tidbits, drained

1. Spoon Dole Sweet Italian Garlic and Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce over crust. It is optional, but I noticed that when I simmer the sauce for 30 minutes, the flavors intensify. But if you are in a hurry, you can skip that.

2. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. 

3. Top with ham, bacon and Dole Pineapple Tidbits.

4. Bake at 425ºF., 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

Such a simple recipe for a gluten-free pizza... that closely resembles the "original" in taste and texture.

The quinoa crust is stable enough to hold all the toppings, too!

DOLE-licious Hawaiian Pizza Recipe

Since not everyone in my family has to go gluten-free, we also made two pizzas made from a "regular" store-bought crust.

You can still use the recipe I shared above, but just start with the steps for the Dole Hawaiian Pizza Toppings.

The toppings are lined up on the dining table and everyone gets a free hand on how they want their pizza to be. I usually just use our favorite store bought pizza dough, Village Gourmet's pizza base for extra convenience. Often enough, I also use tortilla as pizza base when my family want their pizza ultra thin and crispy. See my previous post on how to use tortilla for pizza and call it tarte flambee.

DOLE-licious Blog Giveaway!
I want to share the DOLE love with you, me dear readers. So I will be giving away 4 baskets to 4 winners!

4 winners will win a DOLE-licious gift basket containing: 

1 can (822g) Pineapple Tidbits

1 can (822g) Pineapple Chunks

1 pack (1 kg) Tomato Sauce

1 pack (1kg) Sweet Style Butter & Cream Spaghetti Sauce

2 cans (240ml) Pineapple Juice

2 cans (822g) Tropical Fruit Cocktail

1 Pot Holder

1 Microfiber Kitchen Towel

Easy to join:

1. Like DolePh and The Phenomenal Mama on Facebook and Instagram
2. Post a photo on Facebook and/or Instagram (you must do at least one to qualify). It can be a photo of a dish you made at home, or a photo showing you are having fun in the kitchen. It can be solo with food or with others. Set to Public so I can see your post.

Just follow the easy steps in rafflecopter to make sure your entires are counted:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms:
Raffle period is from May 23 - June 5, 2015 midnight.
Posting on both Facebook and Instagram earns you more entries. It can be the same photo on FB and IG.
Four (4) winners will be drawn via Rafflecopter one week after the contest ends, and will be notified via email.
Winners should reply to email within one week from notification date. If no reply, another winner will be drawn.
DOLE Philippines will ship the gift basket to each winner.
Open to all The Phenomenal Mama readers with a valid Metro Manila delivery address.

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TPM Kitchen | Phenomenal Tip: Homemade Bacon

How do I love bacon? Hmmm... Let me count the ways...

Ever since, I've started on the path to CLEANer EATING, I've consciously tried to look for ways to cut out the "poison" in the everyday meals I serve my family.  I just want to lessen the preservatives in the food we eat.  We don't have any intentions of turning vegan, vegetarian, etc. Just a healthy balance of everything.:) Which means that we don't really give up bacon... we just don't eat the processed one from the grocery.

{TPM Kitchen} CLEANer EATING: What To Eat When You Want To Eat Clean

Turning 28 (for the 12th time) was when I started to notice changes in my body. The deepening of facial lines, the slight loosening of the neck, a few white strands of hair.... AND, the time my daughter made me realize that she is closer to being 20 than I am... Eeeep!!!

Teka lang! How did that happen? Something doesn’t add up there. Seems like I just graduated from college a few years back, eh! Then I think of my mom and dad who are in their 70’s, do they feel like they are middle-aged like I still see myself as in my 20s? Then my son answered me, “Your hands are beginning to look like ah-ma’s (his grandmother) hands,” he says as he tugs at the loose skin at the back of my hand. Ugh! Can he be any more rude, impolite, insolent, disrespectful, offensive… and truthful? Hahaha!

I also started to realize and admit to myself that I wasn’t invincible… that it’s ok to get tired and exhausted. A few years ago I was proud of the fact that I could handle being that mom who could cheer all-day for my daughter’s soccer championship match, enjoy a dinner out with the husband and some friends at night, then wake up the next day for another all-day swim meet with the kids. Sadly, nowadays, all I want after spending all-day cheering for my kids by the poolside is to have a quick dinner and be in bed by 9pm with a good book or catching up on my fave TV series. Hello, Harvey Specter!

My friends and I have started discussing vitamin supplements, the required annual medical exams for people “our age,” and when someone we know ends up in a hospital it is more about a sad and scary illness than the happy news of a birth announcement. #tandersmoment

A few months ago, I also took a Food Intolerance Test which provided the gain in momentum for me to go all the way into a lifestyle which I was trying out since two years ago. Since 2013, I was already into food substitution and trying to eat more of fresh and unprocessed foods, and less of the processed and refined foods. Realizing that I am not getting any younger, and knowing more about food intolerance made me shift my gear, and really learn more about Clean Eating.

CLEANer EATING

Healthy Ideas & Yummy Recipes tested in the TPM Kitchen

What To Eat When You Want To Eat Clean

I will be introducing a new section in the blog, called CLEANer EATING.  It will be all about sharing ideas and recipes that I have tested in the TPM Kitchen as I prepare meals for my family and get them to enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins instead of canned and packaged fruits, white rice, fatty cuts of meat.

As I researched for Clean Eating, I realized that the lifestyle is primarily based on the idea that the best way to eat is to abundantly enjoy a variety of whole foods -- that is, foods as close to their natural state. No counting calories here, thoughts on turning vegan or vegetarian not entertained also, but the focus here is on good quality & healthy food. Which is essentially my kind of lifestyle.

I cannot promise to totally eliminate processed foods from my diet, but the primary principle of getting more nutrition from the food we eat appealed to me. Hence, CLEANer EATING... because I can't promise to say no to the occasional spoonful of dulce de leche or cookie butter! Teehee!

5 Simple Steps to CLEANer EATING:

1. Eat Whole Foods, Avoid Processed Foods.

Whole foods are foods that did not come from a manufacturing plant. The foods you eat on this plan are straight from the farm: whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, grass-fed and free-range meats, low fat dairy products, unsalted nuts, and seeds.

Processed foods are any food that has a label with a long ingredient list. You don’t have to eliminate all processed foods (like whole grain pasta or natural cheeses), but if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a label, don’t put that food in your grocery cart.

Cherries & Pomelos after lunch... My kids need a break from all the sweets!

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Dec 29, 2014 at 9:14pm PST

Snacking now! #freshfruits #mangoes #kiwi

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Sep 9, 2014 at 2:03am PDT

Loving the cherries for breakfast, as well as my lovely blue plate.

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Aug 7, 2014 at 4:50pm PDT

2. Do-it-yourself.

One of the aspects I really love about Clean Eating is making my own homemade versions. For example, when I make Beef Bulgogi for the kids' lunch baon, instead of buying a pre-made sauce, laden with sodium, sugar and preservatives, I whisk together a little of organic coconut sap sugar, liquid aminos or soy sauce, minced garlic, and fresh grated ginger. 

I also enjoy making granola bars from scratch. I share my easy recipe for Superfood Granola Bars.

My granola bars are made with raw nuts, ground flaxseeds, organic quinoa, black chia seeds among others. Sweetened by raw honey and organic coconut sap sugar.
Get the recipe here.

Mid-morning, after-training snacking! The kids are having apple slices with cookie butter & #nutella, topped with #homemade #granola. #healthy #yummy

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Aug 29, 2014 at 6:13pm PDT

Just finished making a batch of my #homemade #pancake mix. Instead of storing it in one of my @locknlockph containers, I placed them in ziplocks today as they are to be shared. The instructions are written on the outside for easy use. No preservatives on this #DIY mix. Recipe is on the blog if you are interested. #TPMkitchen #CLEANerEATING

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Feb 25, 2015 at 5:07pm PST

I share my DIY pancake mix here. It is very versatile as people who need to control their sugar intake can easily just omit adding sugar in the mix.  Taking out the sugar can also make this pancake mix into a refined sugar free pancake mix!

3. Eat five or six small meals a day. 

Eating clean also means that meals are taken throughout the day, three meals and two snacks. This can help reduce the chances of snacking and overeating on unhealthy processed foods because you never get hungry on this lifestyle. 

Expect to prepare meals at home often and to carry snacks with you so you always have access to CLEAN foods. I prepare a variety of salads for my kids recess baon about once to twice a week. Nothing planned, usually it is just a mix of whatever is in the fridge that day.  Some days, they have fresh fruits naman.

Celery snacking for the mid-morning. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend! This mama Will be taking the kids out for a well-deserved after exam outing!

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Aug 15, 2014 at 6:10pm PDT

This is what my 2 girls are going to be having for morning merienda... Arugula salad with pomelo, pine nuts & @ilovewhisk tamarind dressing. Thank you @lulufilipino for the late night #arugula delivery!

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Dec 16, 2014 at 3:38pm PST

Shrimp & Pomelo Salad with tamarind dressing for dinner.

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Dec 9, 2014 at 2:57am PST

4. Un-Sweeten Your Diet.

Everyone in my family has a sweet tooth! I admit this part is where we are having struggles with. Yes, we already accept defeat! hahaha! While I acknowledge that we cannot totally eliminate sweets from our diet, we are trying to eliminate refined sugar/white sugar.  We use alternative sweeteners instead like raw honey and organic coconut sap sugar.

I help my family cut down on added sugars by limiting baking. Buhuhu! But, I have already tried several recipes where I switched white sugar to organic coconut sap sugar in the recipe.  Wait for future posts where I share my tweaked and adjusted recipes.

Today's breakfast is #chia pudding made with #coconut milk. I topped it with some saba sweetened with coconut sap sugar. My Food Intolerance Test results suggested limiting my intake of dairy, so substituting with coco milk instead. #TPMkitchen #CLEANerEATING #VeganHits #CleanEating

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Feb 16, 2015 at 4:05pm PST

When I made minatamis na saba a few days ago, my Li'l Kitchen Helper suggested using chia seeds instead of quinoa. I followed her suggestion today... I made the kids' merienda early so could serve this to the husband for breakfast.

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Aug 5, 2014 at 5:29pm PDT

This is what's for merienda today since I have a lot of saba in the kitchen. It's a "healthier" variation of "minatamis na saging"... Your kids won't even mind the quinoa! It gives a texture similar to tapioca balls (sago). Cold milk poured on top, and a sprinkle of granola for some crunch.

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Aug 3, 2014 at 11:06pm PDT

5. Choose Whole Grains

If your family is anything like mine, it is a struggle to get them to eat anything whole grain. Last year, I decided to come up with my own mix of grains, which made my family tolerate eating brown, black and red rice.

Whole grains include more nutrients than refined grains because the bran and germ are not removed. Look for the word “whole” with the first ingredient in breads and pastas—for example, make sure it says “whole wheat,” not just “wheat.” Outside of whole wheat, choose whole grains like quinoa, oats and brown rice.

Another bonus to eating whole grains: a study found that people who eat three or more servings of whole grains have lower body mass indexes and less belly fat than people who eat fewer.  Goodbye to mommy-belly na ba ito?:)

Getting my family to eat purely brown rice has been a struggle for some time now. So I decided to try a different approach and mixed up a variety of grains. This one is family-approved! Even the pickiest one of all {the husband} gives it a 👍👍! #blackrice #redrice #jasminerice #quinoa #brownrice

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Aug 26, 2014 at 3:54pm PDT

Just to shake things up a bit, I prepared Chicken Fajitas for the kids' #lunchbaon today. I added #quinoa to make it more filling, and grilled zucchinis to make it complete. Carbo + protein + vegetables in a wrap!

A photo posted by The Phenomenal Mama (@thephenomenalmama) on Sep 25, 2014 at 3:43pm PDT

To make Clean Eating a sustainable part of my family's life, I have encouraged them to view food as preventive medicine. "You are what you eat" is literally true as the nutrients the food we take in form the foundation on how well our bodies function.  Our bodies are in a continuous state of maintenance and repair so it is only logical that we choose the best foods to make sure that evey bone, muscle, organ of our body is is tip-top condition... dahil mahal magkasakit!

Resources:
livestrong.com
eatingwell.com

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