1. Heat 1-2 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until just starting to brown. Add the kale and sauté until bright green and somewhat tender.
2. Add soy sauce or Bragg's (be careful, Bragg's tastes very salty!), a squeeze of lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. Cook for about 1 more minute.

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Make sure that the kale is thoroughly dry and toss it with enough olive oil to lightly coat the leaves.
2. Roast for about 17 minutes, or until kale is lightly browned and crispy.
3. Add sea salt to taste and enjoy!

1. Combine rinsed lentils, water, tomatoes, and soy sauce and bring to a boil.
2. To save time, I use a food processor to chop all of the veggies (carrots, bell pepper, kale, onion, garlic, and jalapeno) very small. Add the chopped veggies and the rest of the ingredients to the pot of lentils. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring every once in awhile. Test for taste and add more soy sauce (or sea salt) or chili flakes if necessary.

1. Using olive oil or cooking spray, lightly brown the tempeh over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine remaining ingredients then add browned tempeh when cool.
3. Serve over a large bed of spinach or lettuce (or a combination of greens).

1. Thinly slice the tempeh. One serving is about 4oz. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator if you want to cook enough for multiple days.
2. You can marinate the tempeh, if desired, in whatever you like (a combination of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and Bragg's Liquid Aminos works well). Marinating for just a few minutes is fine.
3. Lightly brown the tempeh over medium heat with a little oil or cooking spray.
4. The cooked tempeh can be used in sandwiches or wraps. It is great with avocado, sprouts, red onion, and a little Annie's Goddess Dressing!

1. Know yourself and your triggers. Do you eat when you're bored or anxious? Do you always want something sweet after lunch or dinner? These are cravings that you can see coming, so be prepared with fresh fruit, dried fruit, or banana soft serve. For crunchy/salty cravings, try air-popped popcorn with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, carrots and hummus, whole grain crackers, baked chips and salsa, or mixed nuts.
2. Say yes. Have a small serving of what you love but make it the best quality that you can find. As far as I'm concerned, life just isn't life without chocolate. Instead of eating a Hershey bar, though, I buy really good quality dark chocolate. I only need a square or two to satisfy my chocolate monster.
3. Eat often. Try to eat something every 2-4 hours. If you wait too long between meals, your blood sugar will be lower and your desire for sugary foods will be stronger. Also, you're likely to eat far more calories if you're ravenous every time you eat.
4. Eat protein, fiber, and good fats. Foods that contain protein, fiber, and/or monounsaturated fat will fill you up faster and keep you feeling full longer than a meal or snack containing only simple carbs (sugar, white flour, etc.). For each meal or snack, choose a "vehicle" (wheat bread, whole grain crackers, brown rice, wheat pasta, etc.), a protein source (nuts, seeds, soy products, protein powder, beans or lentils, etc.), and include a bit of good (monounsaturated) fat (avocado, nuts and seeds, olive oil). We need some fat in our diets to aid in our absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Avoid saturated fat and trans fat (hydrogenated oil).
5. Eat nutrient-rich foods. By choosing foods that are high in nutrient value you will be meeting your body's needs for for multiple vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids. Eating "empty calories" (soda, white bread or rice, potato chips, etc.), adds no nutritional value. Those foods will likely leave you feeling like you need to eat more because your body is still craving the essential nutrients in healthier foods.   
6. Eat what you want to crave. Have you heard people who have recently cleaned up their diets say things like, "I actually crave healthy food instead of cookies now!"? That reaction to eating a healthy diet isn't just psychological. Removing foods that make you unhealthy from your diet will make you feel healthier. It is like putting high quality gas in your car! Also, consider what happens when you overdo it on sugar; your blood sugar crashes shortly after the "sugar rush" and, in addition to feeling tired and irritable, you are likely to be craving even more sugar.
7. Watch out for caffeine. Ever get shaky after a sugary breakfast with a bunch of coffee? A little caffeine is ok but too much can speed up the low blood sugar crash.

1. A fast-burning simple carb layer for quick energy.
2. A slower burning complex carb layer for sustaining energy.
3. A little bit of protein (5-10 grams) to keep my blood sugar even.

• Fruit and nut energy bars (e.g. Larabar), especially those containing dates
• Whole grain toast with peanut, almond, or sunflower seed butter and a serving of fruit or a few dates
• One serving of fruit and a handful of nuts
• A smoothie containing banana, berries, protein powder or soymilk, and ground flaxseeds or chia seeds
• Vega Sport Performance Optimizer (here and here) and toast with peanut, almond, or sunflower seed butter
• Soy yogurt
• Apple with peanut butter and oats (slice the apple, spread PB on the slices and dip them in rolled oats)

• Chocolate soymilk
• Cup of lentil soup with brown rice and a serving of fruit
• Green smoothie
• High-protein cereal (e.g. Kashi Go Lean) with soymilk and berries or bananas
• Chia yogurt snack
• Oatmeal with added protein (see recipe)
• Super pancakes with added protein and topped with fruit (skip the syrup)

1. Day one: run as far as you can. Go home. Day two: do the same thing.
2. Find the dirtiest pond in your neighborhood and snorkel in it - in your slippers, without goggles.
3. Practice your climbing and crawling skills at your local jungle gym. Ignore the small children and parental glares.
4. Do not shower or shave for weeks in order to obtain a true Warrior look.

• Add nut butter (e.g. peanut or almond butter), sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and/or hemp seeds to the wet ingredients and blend well.
• Substitute soy flour for up to 1/3 cup flour.
• Substitute a serving of protein powder for an equal amount of the flour.
• Substitute ground flaxseeds (flax meal) and/or wheat germ for up to 1/3 cup flour.
• Add blackstrap molasses for iron.

• Add carrots, apples, bananas, berries, squash, applesauce, sweet potatoes, or other fruits and/or veggies to the wet ingredients and blend well. Bananas (especially really ripe bananas) work really well for this!

I get burned out rather quickly when I'm eating the same foods over and over again. That is one of the main reasons that I do so much experimenting with new recipes and ingredients. I absolutely love discovering new products and frequently find new things to try in the blogs that I read.