Is your Midlife Middle getting on your one last good nerve? You know, that little pudge just under the belly button that is stubborn as hell and doesn’t want to go away. What’s that all about?
Generally, women are the victims of Mother Nature’s sour mood. Our body fat increases when we get into our 30s and 40s, so by the time we reach menopause, our once svelte waistline has all but disappeared and we run the risk of looking like the Michelin Man. Yes, Mother Nature is working against us.
Admission: I have a pudge. It’s something I’ve been working on and, surprisingly (yayyy!) it’s diminishing through exercise and “proper” eating. (I put proper in quotes because while I’m not limiting myself to munching on grass, rocks and twigs, I am striving to eat better and recently began a clean eating challenge).
Speaking of challenges, sometimes food can be that for me. Why? Because I love food. It’s more than just a life sustaining force for me — food is heaven on a plate, in a bowl, on a stick, in my hands, in my piehole, etc. With no restraints and a total disregard for what my body looks like, I would gladly eat my way through life like Ms. Pac Man. Uhhhh, no.
Conversely, sometimes food can be our body’s friend. When we make good food choices, our body thanks us. As the old saying goes, put good in — get good out.
This is NOT me; it’s Nadiya Hussain, Season 6 winner of The Great British Bake Off. But I was smokin’ in the kitchen, too!
In my former life, I used to be a food writer. During that time, I began documenting my culinary adventures in the kitchen. Every Monday, I morphed from happy housewife to mad scientist as I prepared one meatless dish after another. I was so committed to it that I partnered with the Meatless Monday organization and championed going meatless one day a week. I even got my husband on board, too!
Today’s dish, Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, makes my tummy happy. It’s meatless…and its loaded with the superfood, quinoa. And…hello?!? Peppers!
FUN FACT: Did you know that quinoa is not a grain? Yeah, neither did I. It’s actually a member of the beet, chard and spinach family, and is the seed of the Chenopodium plant.
In this recipe, I went with a quinoa and brown rice blend, which is quite flavorful. Feel free to modify this recipe as it fits your palate (quinoa vs. quinoa blend). I added an element of crunch with the toasted almonds, and my sweet tooth is showing just a touch with the inclusion of raisins and cinnamon. I hope you enjoy this Quinoa Stuffed Peppers recipe.
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