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Kitchen Food Pantry + Healthy Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Kitchen food pantry is a must whether it’s shelves or bins if you want to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle and not have to run out to the grocery store every time you need an ingredient 🤔 And if you want to make a recipe like cinnamon rolls below, your ingredients are cupboard and pantry ready or can be subsituted.

my kitchen food pantry in 2020. — The 2020 Pantry that started it all. It wasn’t all healthy, but then gradually as the world became more social healthy so did my kitchen.

It’s smart these days to have a running house food pantry, especially with all the grocery store shortages and shipping dilemmas. What you store in your food pantry ends up being part of your diet (the same concept as: what you bring home from the grocery store or delivered ends up on your plate).

So, I started a household food pantry at the start of 2020 because I’m a planner and that makes food conveniently available in real-time. Real food is a basic need, and no metaverse can change that (zero taste would never last on our planet 😊).

Plus, having a personal food pantry lets you bypass the panic buy waves that seem to run rampant. And you can find yourself cooking and baking more, just in case you’re looking for homemade-cooking inspiration.

But even if you’re not a planner, the checklist below can help remind you of healthy pantry food items to stock up on when you’re running low.

One recent item I found interesting that made the trending grocery shortage list along with chicken is cinnamon buns. They are easy to bake (I think) and I have a delicious and fast recipe bake below that’s gonna keep you warm and healthy. It all starts with having cinnamon spice on hand (and one of my #1 go-to sources for adding a little sweet to bakes, foods, and drinks).

Here’s a kitchen food pantry idea list that can come in handy (from my pantry to yours maybe?):

✔️ Nuts, Seeds, and Dried Fruits (ex: raisins, craisins, dates, papaya, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds) come in handy as snack fillers between meals. You can make a trail mix or use them to bake with. They’re dry ingredients so they water down baking, that’s working to dry what’s baking in the oven. If you have temperature-sensitive nuts like macadamia or Brazil nuts, you can keep them in the fridge to give them a longer life.

✔️ Canned Beans and Other Legumes (ex: white beans, black beans, peas, edamame, chickpea-garbanzo beans) you can use for every meal or straight out of the can. You can run water inside the open cans to rinse out some of the preserving salts/sodium, or you can use the can liquid for soups and dips. You can even use the chickpea aquafaba liquid as an egg white substitute. There are no rules. But once cans are opened, it’s smart to refrigerate and use ’em within a few days.

✔️ Packaged Fruit (or what I call pantry shelf fruit, ex: unsweetened applesauce, cherries, pineapple) come in handy for baking. Btw, I always buy the unsweetened (or unsalted) versions if there’s a choice for all food goods ready-to-eat or for baking. ‘Cause then you can choose what sweets or salts to add back in, and control how much.

✔️ Canned Proteins (ex: tuna, sardines, clams) make great snacks and lunch meat. You can add to almost any carb meal.

✔️ Shelf-ready Non-dairy milks (ex: almond milk) are good to keep around, plus a can of coconut milk and evaporated milk for easy baking or soups. Best expiration dates are usually over a year out.

✔️ Comfort Food Boxed Pasta make a pantry shelf look organized (that probably wasn’t your first thought, lol). There seems to be a new pasta shape out every year and in panic-buy shortages, the whole aisle empties fast (and ends up in pantries!). So it’s good to have a couple of uniform boxes with different pasta shapes on hand. Larger pasta surfaces like shells will hold onto sauces better when you’re deciding what shapes and types to go with (ex: traditional spaghetti, macaroni, whole wheat). Veggie pasta doesn’t need a fancy sauce and can taste light and elegant with the right EVOO.

✔️ Canned Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce go hand and hand in your pantry for a weekly Italian meal. But the cheese doesn’t belong there and I agree with the Italians that parmesan (America’s cheese) is pretty gross once you get a taste of the better stuff. I used to be a daily cheese lover (so many of us out there!) but have cut down, and only do fresh light cheeses for celebrational eating or baking that have some health benefits when eaten in moderation, in case you wanna get rid of the cheesy daily habit.

✔️ Slow Cooking or Old-Fashioned Oats and Grits. Good for breakfast but they can be substituted instead of flour for some bakes, and if you want to do gluten-free.

✔️ Other Whole Grains: (ex: brown rice, quinoa, barley, farro). Just look for “whole” in front of grains.

✔️ Drinks: (ex: unsweetened cocoa for baking and hot cocoa and ground coffee.) Even if you don’t drink these often they come in handy for occasions. And the best drink for your body (water) isn’t in the pantry.

✔️ High Bran/Whole Grain Cereal: Processed cereals (including fortified ones) have gotten a bad rap. Some you may have heard we grew up with are even linked to having traces of weedkiller. But if you find the right fortified cereal, that can be a good daily fiber source and a possible better sweet substitute.

✔️ Chocolate chip morsels: You can always find some chocolaty-way to bake them in or enjoy in a no-bake trail mix.

✔️ Salts: (ex: kosher, coarser sea salt, regular sea salt). Kosher is good for some bakes while coarser salts are a great finishing touch for veggies (almost like a salt garnish). They allow you to appreciate your foods better at the moment when they activate on your tongue ...remember the different taste regions on the tongue?

✔️ Vinegars/Condiments: (ex: ACV, red, white wine vinegar, soy sauces). These are versatile ingredients you can use to dress up your dishes, dressings, and sauces.

✔️ EVOO: medium and a lighter version for baking (if you like the scent and taste, chances are you’ll love it in your dishes).

✔️ Flours: all-purpose, whole wheat, bread, corn, gluten-free (ex: almond, coconut, and buckwheat can be used in baking). Gluten-free flours are better preserved in the fridge than in a pantry.

✔️ Baking agents: (ex: cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda-the orange box in your fridge not to be confused with slightly different baking powder in baking), yeast packets for breads, sugars sparingly used for baking (ex: powdered sugar, monkfruit sugar, brown sugar).

✔️ Soup: before 2020, I used to buy canned low-sodium soups, and learned to cut down the sodium even more by making soups from fresh and my kitchen food pantry ingredients. With fresh and root veggies, you can almost make any kind of warm soup you want. Same concept with fresh fruits where you can make any cool juice you want.

✔️ Variety of herbs and spices: for every day (ex: oregano, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon) and Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays (ex: thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, anise, allspice, cardamom).

✔️ Loose leaf and tea bags: from herbal (ex: peppermint, floral, fruity) to black (ex: cinnamon, Earl Grey, chai), green, and red/rooibos.

✔️ Breads: Where is the best place to preserve bread longer… pantry, fridge, or freezer?

Yup, the freezer! The fridge hardens and dries out your bread, but a freezer will keep it from undesirable changing properties. You’ll know when freezer bread has eventually turned stale as it has a freezer-burn smell and taste, but that doesn’t usually happen for months or longer. If fresh freezer bread is unsliced, you’re best to slice it up at room temperature before freezing, so you can pull out the slices you need without de-thawing the entire loaf. And then pop in your toaster and it’s just as fresh.

I leave ready-to-be-eaten baked fresh bread in the cooled oven (keeps it dry and softest) for up to 3 days.

And on that note, this is my no-refined sugar cinnamon buns bread recipe:

Jump to Recipe

Low-Sugar Delicious Cinnamon Rolls

For sweetness, I recommend honey in the dough and as a final glaze and a load of Ceylon cinnamon spice in-between for the sweet. Of course, you can add sugar or monk fruit sugar if you wish and if you have a younger eating audience that’ll want more sugar. Your older guests (and you) can appreciate your healthy baking gestures.

The goes for the fat used in this recipe. Keep in mind: if you use a healthy fat like light EVOO, it won’t be like the bakery and store-bought cinnamon buns you’re used to. These cinnamon buns’ bite will be moist and different than a flaky butter finish, but still delicious.

Flour: Bread flour (or a mix with whole wheat flour) does the best for cinnamon buns in my opinion, but you can definitely substitute with crumbly gluten-free “healthy” flours and add xantham gum or other binders. But I like no-fuss or muss, so this bread prep can be done in 5 minutes by hand mixing 5 ingredients: warm water, flour, yeast, plain yogurt, and salt. Plus, honey for sweetness. And no proof waiting time.

The dough rests for a few minutes, and then you can roll the buns and watch the magical oven work while pursuing other hobbies 😊 …that’s how I Cinna-roll in this sugar-off, but delicious-on recipe.

Print Recipe

Healthy Cinnamon Rolls

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American, swedish

Servings 8 rolls

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups total flour (you can mix bread flour, whole wheat, gluten-free bread)
1/2 tsp instant yeast (if you use active yeast add to warm water to activate first)
1/2 tbsp sea salt
1/2 tbsp raw honey
1/2 cup plain yogurt (Greek yogurt recommended)
3/4 cup warm water (+ more)
cinnamon (to taste)

Instructions

Make bread by mixing flour, water, salt, yeast.
Let proof for at least 1-2 hours.
Roll into a log.
Cut into even slices with cooking thread.
Set on baking tray and bake on 350°F until golden brown. Optional shine: Add egg wash when almost done baking (or glaze after baking and cooling).

Cinna(MON)-Roll Bread Buns

Ingredients (for 8 rolls):

8”x 4” (or 9”x5”) pan

2-1/2 cups total flour (you can mix bread flour, whole wheat, gluten-free bread)

1/2 tsp yeast (if active yeast add to warm water to activate first)

1/2 Tbsp sea salt

1/2 Tbsp raw honey

1/2 cup plain yogurt (Greek yogurt recommended)

¾ cup warm water + more

Directions:

Mix ingredients in a bowl adding just enough warm water until all the flour is incorporated. Some of the dough will be stringy dough pieces or crumbs, and not a smooth dough (not like a baby’s bottom 👶).

Let rest for a few minutes (or leave overnight covered in the fridge).

Bring the dough out and lay it on top of bench flour (any baking flour will work. I like to stick with the same ones I’m using in the buns or whole wheat flour). Roll out dough (not too thin to about 1/4-1/2″ thick) into a rectangle shape and then cut strips with a pizza wheel cutter (or knife), saving the dough scrap ends.

Roll out the remaining dough and combine with the dough scraps, to make 8 total long pieces about the same size. These will be your buns.

Healthy Version:

Then brush light EVOO (good for sweet baking) or ghee (clarified butter) on each strip. And then layer and fully cover a generous dusting of cinnamon spice (Ceylon cinnamon suggested and the amount based on your preference).

Bake time will vary depending on flour choices, dough thickness, baking pan, and oven. As a guideline, bake until a little darker than golden brown as the outside is browner then the inside that can still be a little moist/unbaked.

Suggested time and temperature: Bake at 350 °F for about 45 minutes. Pull out halfway and brush more EVOO. Then reduce oven heat to 200 F for another 10 minutes. That’s what these in the photos were baked in.

If you find the outside looks too dry, you may want to brush with EVOO again. You could also substitute with an egg wash (about half way through) for a ‘lil moist shine, but I prefer another way after cooled…

Cinna-roll looks pretty cool with the tea bath, huh?

Because the bread dough is pretty dense after cooled, I then add sweet orange zest, and raisins ontop, so it looks a little like a pain aux raisins. Then I pour brewed warm (but not hot) tea over the cinnamon bun, that softens and plumps up the raisins (like you may have heard to add to your Earl Grey tea and that mellows out the brisk taste). Well… the raisins and zest here add sweetness and the tea bath adds the mellow. The fruit-forwardness comes through.🧡

For the pouring tea, I suggest using a black tea: like cinnamon, chai, or Earl Grey. Then when you wanna enjoy it, you’ll have a sweet, warm, and lightly moist bread experience. Yes, please! 😋

Healthy Foods Substituting Ingredients

Healthy foods can substitute processed and other ingredients that your body doesn’t use as nutrition.

Getting to love these foods can take gradual changes.

And food variety and curiosity can create opportunities.

Eating healthy got me interested in cooking healthy foods and using healthier ingredients later in life post-catering management work days. Those days I rarely cooked as I was always around decadent foods from a hotel kitchen.

And then stepping away from party planning and into the pandemic days, I started to home cook and bake daily.

One ingredient at a time, I exchanged filler and not so great ingredients for healthy ones.

It started with interest and fascination with exchanging a simple ingredient like yeast for eggs, gives you risen bread instead of pasta.

That’s the same sort of small ingredient change that you can make in daily meal planning (even if you don’t cook today), that can make a big difference in your health.

But first, you need to know what to do.

“When you know better, you do better.” -Maya Angelou

Btw, as of today, Maya Angelou is now appearing on minted quarters (so her legacy advice is even more valuable!).

But anyway… long before I learned to cook, I didn’t care so much about the quality of ingredients as I did the final product taste.

And for work, I planned catering events in hotels and restaurants, and I can’t think of a single instance where there was a request for a full-on healthy party menu (over good tasting meals). That theme never came up in conversations. In throwing successful events, enjoyable and making happy memories in those situations means serving an unforgettable mouthful of delicious.

Once in a while, sprinkled in the mix, there would be a request for healthier alternatives because of food allergies, or for a raw vegetable crudite platter that was considered veg-forward, and to start the party off on a light note. Or for conference event planning, where the catered food was the main daily food the guests were eating and the host planner wanted healthier energy and “brain food” served. But those were the exceptions.

And that’s partly because eating rich foods for a day or eating out for a few days doesn’t have the same consequences as it does for daily eating that become the routines and habits.

When you have an overall goal to stay healthy or be health-conscious, you care about the overall weekly diet and the ingredients. And if you’re the one cooking and adding the ingredients, you get to decide how much of this or that you add to meals. That can very rewarding and I share a few tips below whether or not you cook today.

…You just never know what will be a good source of inspo to get you cookin’ and as I found on my journey.

I never say never, but if you live near a city especially, gardening isn’t usually the main source for full-on meals. But many of us cook regularly as we want to learn how to make new dishes and develop cooking skills confidence.

So that’s my first tip for anyone: to try and cook more often even if you don’t think you can boil an egg or make a box of pasta. We all start somewhere! When you make/cook your food, you start to think about your foods more than when you’re just eating, heating, or ordering food in. And that brings more awareness to eating healthy foods if that’s a goal you have.

And in that case, making everyday recipes that have sticks of butter or shortening just won’t cut it. At first, you can be feeling at odds following recipes that have a mix of healthy and not-so-healthy ingredients. That’s part of the journey.

I always start with the ingredients. If I don’t like what’s in it, then I just skip the recipe or food. But when you’re starting out, following a recipe is easier and can be more fruitful… just in case you needed some cooking encouragement to keep trying.

Our EVOO society has also made it easier. That’s what I call it because EVOO (thank you to the Mediterranean diet) is often used in restaurants over butter, that used to be the standard.

A healthy monounsaturated fat like EVOO (as in EVeryday olive oil + extra virgin) used with a light hand drizzle is going to be a good substitute for your body health. Just add a few drops and then spread it around the pan with a baton flick of the ninja cooking wrist 😊. Just sayin’ too much of a good thing is too much.

But a little bit benefits your cooking too. Besides food flavor and a glisten, this keeps your food and pans from cooking heat burns.

The biggest goes to body health of course. So, my second tip is to substitute butter with healthier ingredients like applesauce or yogurt for baking, and ghee or EVOO for cooking when you can.

Traditional Christmas Cookies are the sweet recipe exception I have found that isn’t the same without the buttery taste-texture. But even in that context, I still think (and from my own baking experiments) know that butter can be substituted, and still be just as delicious and enjoyable. You may just have to get a ‘lil more creative with the cookie decorating.

…I made these (above photo) bak-love-a layers with light EVOO (that’s great for sweet and savory baking). I only used butter to add on the top layer glaze to please my younger self.🤷🏻‍♀️

Just an example that balanced moderation can be effectively added into recipes where it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I find hard and fast rules can fall flat and in the category elimination diet that I tend to stay away from. I think eating diverse, mostly plant-based, and moderation for most everything else is the way to go and the way I go (and maybe you too?).

But, this is a healthy leap from when I started my baking journey using ingredients like shortening that you still see in Southern comfort cooking recipes.

Aah… but, when I knew better, I did better. And that could be your journey.

Like I learned butter is made from heavy cream and if you keep whipping, it easily turns to butter. It’s lessons like this where you can get revelations like I did, that an ingredient’s makeup and consistency is (ex)changeable. And so, ingredients are not fixed as what we know them as. They can be substituted and swapped in recipes.

A good example would be substituting sugar with healthy foods like dried fruits, fruit zest, or honey (that can help allergies too).

These types of little changes make big difference to health, and how you feel in your day. And, maybe the bottom line… or the waistline (yay!).

Or, maybe you’re a natural Vata (or know of some)…that’s me too 🙋🏻‍♀️, where you may have inherited the thinner genes and higher metabolism. You still have to watch the fats.

If you’re a female adult, you wanna make sure you’re not “skinny fat” that’s a good healthy measurement. You can do this by comparing your waist to hip ratio (where most women can aim for under 80%).

There are no shortcuts to good health as your body has a different opinion on what it needs that’s different than our tastes and wants.

Another healthy substitute is oats and grits for pie crusts, cookies, and brownies mixed with apple sauce or yogurt and honey. When you bake, then you can make these swaps pretty easily, both butter and gluten-free (without flour).

Healthy foods like grits can be used as the pie base.

But when you shop from grocery shelves that’s a different story as pie shells look harmless, despite not-so healthy ingredients. And healthy foods don’t jump off the shelves either.

You can just as easily add Greek yogurt and jam or fresh fruit to your gritty pie shell.. that’ll hold up beautifully!

That’s how I started, not really paying attention to nutrition labels and ingredients. Then along my healthful journey, I decided not to choose Mister Donut of any kind, fresh or not, because I knew and know what’s in them. Besides taste, very little. And lots of sugar and fat. And I trained myself from awareness to look at them like that, and see the missing-ness through the hole in the middle.

But for others, and you, that could just as easily be another processed food item where the consequence is known and inevitable.

When a tradeoff is determined as individually undesirable, then you beneficially want to give it up (and don’t HAVE to give it up that can cause an internal conflict).

These btw (below) are “donut hole” inspo w-hole bites and balls of energy that anyone can bake and substitute for high-sugar and fat.

Black bean “brownie-inspo” ball of energy bites

When you pause on the processed foods, you can gradually not desire to eat the super-sweet stuff anymore. It can work if you work it. And then you actually like the taste of healthy foods.

Your habits then become your choices.

If you’ve ever fasted, then you probably know the feeling… because after a while you can stop caring or obsessing about eating (like I did in fasting experiences). I’m not a good faster but I’ve attempted fasting sweets.

After a day or so, you can stop craving whatever you’re fasting from because you, your mind, and your body are in agreement that you don’t need those foods (at least not now). So, then you’re satisfied. And that’s all you need to care about when it comes to eating enjoyment. Being content to be happy.

…I remember the days when I got teased by friends for eating healthy and selecting healthy food choices. I felt bad they didn’t know what I knew in nutrition, and sadly, that adds aging stress on the body. Our bodies are tricky and complex and has a different daily systematic agenda that doesn’t necessarily like our unhealthy choices after swallowed or initial taste bud food changes that we choose (that can be unhealthy or healthy foods).

I knew back then (even if it was subconscious) that I wanted to live without eating regrets or damaging the one body we’re given, so I followed my instincts and those became habits. When you don’t take for granted your body’s resiliency, that can help you to want to be healthier.

Plus, we have so much more food sources and healthy information available to us now that allows us to buy ingredients in person, online, and from global sources.

When your body is used to you eating healthy, another healthy food strategy (and final tip) is to switch up the healthy foods and ingredients regularly. Switching up foods is fun.

It’s an enjoyable game you can play that you’ll never get sick of and is what your body wants for you as it craves good taste and healthy variety.

Plus, if a food is labeled bad or good and that evolves or changes, like nuts used to be deemed bad and now are great healthy fats, then you haven’t put all your eggs in one basket 🥚🥚… you know what I mean, Jelly Bean 😉.

And you can make your own baklava… baking and phyllo dough is as fun as pasta making along with the Great British Baking Show.

Mediterranean Phyllo Dough For Baklava

Course Dessert

Cuisine lebanese

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup flour
1 cup water
pinch of salt
honey
chopped nuts
dates, orange, and cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

Making phyllo is a lot like making homemade pasta, but much thinner.
Make a mound and a hole in the middlle where you can add the olive oil and slowly add water. Knead for about 5 minutes and then form a dough disc. Let rest.
Roll out as thin as possible and then you can slip into the pasta maker if you have one, adjusting until you get to the thinnest setting (e.g. 1). It will look opaque but the hope is that there will be no holes.
Cut into strips that you will use as layers for the baklava.
For the baklava, you can brush honey and top with chopped dates and nuts (walnuts or pistachios work well) on every other layer if you make 7 layers ending with the top layer with honey and nuts. Sprinkle each layer with cinnamon and orange zest if you like (good for Ayurvedic Vata balancing!).

Pitta 5 Love Languages to Restore Imbalance

Pitta is a heated situation where you want to get back to love and peace. And a cooling off like ice cream can do just that. Easy chocolate soft serve recipe below. 🍦🍫

soft serve ice cream chocolate recipe.

You may not be a Pitta type, but you may have others in your life who dominate in this dosha body (and mind-body) type. If they are unaware, they can be impatient, irritated, and annoyed. Or maybe that’s you. We’re all just one step away from a Vata, Pitta, or Kapha imbalance. Restoring the balance helps us operate optimally.

And btw, this avocado tree that started from a seed in the summer, is a calming addition. It’s looking a little like a Jack and the Beanstalk, but it’s healthy. And if a plant is healthy, then it’s happy.

…As humans we’re a ‘lil more complex and want it all (and have more areas that need TLC). Plus from others, we want our preferred 5 love languages met.

And if yours happens to be Gift, then I have a nice giant healthier (but just as tasty) oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe below that you can bake and gift to that Pitta someone (or yourself 😋)… and you can decorate with frosting words if you like. Remember the big cookies you could buy in the mall?

Finding ways to be kind like gifting a cookie, helps when we have someone dominant in our lives and relationships who has a Pitta imbalance. And they act less than, well… desirable or pleasant.

…and that’s because they’re probably stressed about something in their life. If things aren’t happening as they had hoped, this can be a source of sour cherry or bitter thorns that subtly weaves their way into other parts of life.

And chronic stress buildup we know is the silent ager and gateway to health inflammation. Feelings of stress can be masked inside the body. And whether anger is acted out, it’s more a personality trait (and violence is more a male species trait).

And, panicking and anxiety is a heavy Vata trait, so if you’ve been wondering why people naturally panic and others don’t, that’s the way they’re wired. And experiences along their journey can trigger their emotional or uncontrollable body reactions.

The tricky part is you can have a combination of body things going on. It’s better to nip in the bud so undesired tendencies don’t settle in, and you can live optimally free of inflammation and discomforts. (You can learn more about this by taking the Body Balance Quiz).

Today I wanted to talk specifically about Pitta as just about everyone has a dominant Pitta in their life whether it’s at home or work.

If another person’s Pitta imbalance is spilling over to you and causing angst in your life, then you should especially keep reading so you can be aware (and moving towards getting your life back).

Let’s start with…

What if you could silently help the Pitta person (a loved one, a housemate, a boss, a co-worker, or your Pitta self) or people in your life without saying a word? I mean, no one wants to poke (or provoke) the bear.

First of all, most people are unaware they are misbehaving or creating noticeable havoc affecting others if they haven’t already learn to control how they act, at least in front of people. They are naturally that way and you are naturally your way. And probably no one has stopped them (and maybe even encouraged them because they don’t have to encounter them regularly like you do).

Even if you have mentioned their behavior in passing, it may not register. What they are experiencing internally can be louder than your words. It’s their internal turmoil. And the oil spill is damage passes onto you.

Most dominant Pittas love (or should I say live for) productivity. Emotional drama is not going to embrace them and they may even avoid those situations. They’re not going to stick around for the gossip (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing as they have better things to do with their time).

How it can hurt is they may not have a plug-in cord with their heart and surface feelings. (Even though they may feel even deeper inside than those who wear their hearts on their sleeves). Whatever the case, we shouldn’t fault them for what they don’t have and they shouldn’t fault us for our lacks they perceive.

Pitta managers (think the managing directors) can act like a typical Type-A in Corporate America. The tradeoff is they’re not often good with focus on living balanced or taking daily joy time out every day unless there’s a definitive goal assigned to what they’re doing.

Working out, running, or bicycling can be a better work-life balance time-off activity in their focused eyes.

So, to a Pitta, starting a conversation with having a better work-life balance probably isn’t going to win them over, lol. Those of us who are Vatas can find that interesting as we love to enjoy and relax.

Having a happy life discussion may even enter a downward spiral if you’re looking for a promotion. Getting the right things done is more the language you want to use, and this could also be with a relationship partner.

If you can present spreadsheets, logical conclusions, and rationale, this will go over better than anecdotal evidence. You may even want to get to the bottom line first and then explain the backup story.

Strong Pittas make great finishers and competitors. Professional athletes are usually high Pittas because they can stay calm under pressure, so they continue to score when others could crumble.

For a Pitta relationship, you may want to suggest joint leisure physical activities or yoga. Emphasizing more active yoga poses like Warrior or Mountain standing poses where hands and arms are in movement.

A lying down Knee Hug or Happy Baby Pose won’t do much for a Pitta. But a stretch in hamstrings will remind them of working out and not having sore leg muscles the next day (healthy productivity).

A quiet practice like eyes-closed meditation can be good for a Pitta since there is a clear beginning and end when the eyes close and open. And if there’s a clear goal like helping to reduce stress, then they can be all in. “Being more intentional in life” can be a little too obscure.

Whoever your Pittas are in your life, here are 5 ways you can bring in more love for each of the 5 love languages (from Gary Chapman’s book).

5 Love Languages for the Pittas in your Life:

Quality Time:

For a Pitta co-worker, if you can’t physically spend time with them, silent prayer for them is a proactive way that would help. No one ever refuses a prayer no matter what beliefs they hold or don’t hold.

For a romantic partner, working out together (mentioned above), or an engaging activity like cooking a meal together, ice skating, or playing a game could be fun. If an activity is mentioned, even if it’s not favorable to you, think about what would be a benefit in taking a few hours.

We can spend that much time, cleaning and piddling around doing nothing or watching television where the time just disappears. Or in feeling guilt for not agreeing.

What if you did something that meant a lot to the other person? It’s time you put into the relationship and quality to them. Think of it as an act of service (love).

Acts of Service:

Maybe your Pitta friend or spouse needs a vacation, but they can’t take one just yet. You could change the situation around you. This works for babies. O how a fussy baby can be quietly silenced, being held in the air, or with a ‘lil playful drops of water trickling down their heads that you release from a straw.

For an adult, that won’t work (and will probably get you in hot water!) but the same strategy works.

You can similarly change their immediate atmosphere. And create ambiance (that’s what we would say in a restaurant).

You can play Kenny G or jazzy tone music around them. Music has a profound calming effect. You can explore a bunch of music play suggestions.

You can light up or gift them with a lavender or musky scented gift. This could bath be salts, a candle, or tea. This can help soothe them back to relax mode.

This can be coupled with quality time activities but also when they’re most stressed out, like when they first get home from work or had chaotic travel.

You know when they’re relaxed because they won’t be acting irritated by what was or wasn’t done.

Gifts and Physical Touch:

Maybe make a homemade or thoughtful gift like an avocado smoothie or a photo memory displayed that may go over very well. You may need to dig a ‘lil deeper to find a gift to evoke feeling from a memory vs. giving a thoughtful gift, like…

Bake a carrot cake, prepare a Middle Eastern meal (lotsa astringent tastes that will help balance them) or order one in.

…Or you can make waffles or pancakes.

…Or this irresistible and versatile healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie (that can also be a breakfast idea). The printable recipe is found here 🍴.

oatmeal chocolate chip cookie Pitta love food. — Who wouldn’t love this cookie and if you hand frosted writing something nice?

2/3 cup oats

1/2+ cup whole wheat flour for a standard cake pan (this can vary depending on the size of your baking pan. Be sure you can cover the entire bottom of the pan for a whole cookie.)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp maple syrup (for low-sugar)

1 Tbsp yogurt

1/4 cup almond milk

2 Tbsp chocolate chips (add on top like in my photo above if you don’t want a lumpy cookie. Then you can slightly heat the cookie up in the oven recommended for warm but intact chocolate chips when you’re ready to enjoy).

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 egg

Mix ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. I like to let the edges brown just a tad (for the crunchy bite). No muss, no fuss… just simple smiles.

Movin’ on…

Soft Serve Chocolate Ice Cream

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

6 egg yolks
3 cups milk
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup fine sugar (monk fruit sugar alternative)

Instructions

Add milk and cocoa powder to a pot, and heat until you see a light boil (a few small boil bubbles). Then turn the heat off.
Take the pot off the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Add your egg yolks to a separate mixing bowl and beat with sugar to emulsify until pale or lighter yellow color.
Add slightly cooled mixture to egg yolks and constantly stir with quick motions (prevent curdling).
When combined, set in refrigerator to cool down for about 15 minutes or longer.
Prepare ice cream maker machine and bowl if you will be using one to set the soft serve ice cream. Take bowl out of freezer for about 30 minutes if it has been in the back of the freezer. Freezer temps vary but you want the bowl cold enough but e.g. not with frozen icicles on the sides but not water condensation. Tip: for the balance, have the bowl a little less cold because you can always freeze the ice cream back up in the freezer. And soft serve is more creamy, watery, and soft than ice cream.
Alternatively, if you are not using an ice cream maker/bowl, be sure to stir the ice cream every half hour or so to remove any forming icicles.

Healthiest Cookie and Nutrition Facts Low Down

Healthiest cookie vibes are almost unheard of, as they often have too much high fructose corn syrup, other sugar, fat content, artificial flavoring… and I did I mention sugar. 😊

This spiced cookie is one powerful bite, loaded with anti-inflammatory spices. Recipe below. ⬇️

But, I share a piece of good sweet news… today, you could look for the healthiest cookie that tastes good (and not like the box it came in), and then feel better for your reduced sugar choice.

Included below is a helpful sugar content list next time you’re out cookie grocery shopping.

If you were born with a sweet tooth (ahem…Vatas!), eliminating sugar from your diet, may be one of the worst food elimination news you could hear.

But wait!… before you give up on all sugar, know that your natural makeup and desires are there for a reason, so you don’t have to give up all your sweets if your body and health allow. Instead, you could look for better, daily choices so you don’t have to give up entirely one day.

Cookies are one sweet type and if that’s not your go-to sweet, what are some of the other daily sweet delights? Ice cream, cakes, pies, candy, and donuts.

Sugar is sugar. But some sweets are better for you and they originate in nature and from plants. If a piece of dark chocolate or a juicy piece of fruit will give you the same effect, learn to let your healthy taste bud rule over your eyes that plays tricks.

Because the truth is if you or I tell ourselves, no, we can’t have that sweet piece of joy, then we just want it more as we have an internal debate. And once we get a taste of the tasty stuff, our brain’s pleasure center can easily tempt us to go overboard in a weak moment, even if we consider ourselves self-disciplined in every other way.

That’s why lose weight diets (a.k.a. yo-yo or fad diets) don’t work long-term or lifelong because we feel we are missing out on what our mind and body know is out there. Short-term diets are not natural to our bodies. We want real tasty foods that we crave.

But, if you want to fit into that special dress or get your bathing suit body ready for the summer season, you’re better off doing it naturally so that you can stay the same size year-round.

Just ask Oprah who was the poster example for learning how to eat healthily. And thankfully our abundant society has wised up with better accessible plant-based and healthier ingredient options (from farm to store), than when we were kids.

Decades ago, I wrote a lifelong diet guide with recipes that included enjoying more or less one day “off” a week. A few years before then I had gone on a diet of eating low-fat cookies that came from a dark green healthy-color box (that was anything but healthy or plant-based).

I don’t see those cookies on the grocery shelves anymore, but they were a terrible food substitute that led to weight gain and adding unhealthy processed ingredients to my body. I learned the hard way, but that saved me a lifetime of going down the wrong eating path, and from then on, I wised up.

And I try to save others from making the same mistakes I made. I still very rarely eat red meat, dairy, or more than one or two bites of a sugary sweet, not because I don’t like those foods or can’t eat them (au contraire!), but because I choose to, now knowing what I know. And like Oprah says, “when you know better, you do better.”

And you can do the same with knowledge and a little discipline, which then becomes second nature where you don’t even want those foods anymore because you know they don’t make you a healthier being and that is more satisfying to you. There’s no guilt, either way… it’s just a choice.

Plus, as you get older, the bad foods and sugar your body could tolerate in your 20s may not be the same, so you’re better off wanting to change instead of having to or being forced to.

So that’s where cookie consciousness came into the picture for me. My sweet weakness is cookies (and decadent cakes and cupcakes). It’s wired in my DNA.

But, I’ve learned to be discerning and find the best ones out there. I enjoy the cookie if it tastes great and has low sugar content, or if I make my own in a controlled sugar baking environment.

Keeping it real to yourself is what it’s all about…

And also celebrating your efforts, leaves you happy, your mental health improves, and your body benefits, so you want to balance health and happiness (btw, my blog name is healthy and happy 😊).

I like to have fun (Enneagram 7) probably as much as the next person, and I also like to balance rules because they keep life simple. So looking at nutrition facts is one practice that I like to do (and seriously I do find fun in a mature, adult sorta way).

And I started out my career out as a catering manager at a DoubleTree Hotel where they’re famous for their c.c. cookies you can make healthy 🍪 but yeah the original ingredients in the official recipe is not listed on the fresh brown paper cookie bags. I know because I sat next to them and used them as a pound of butter paper weights for my BEO contracts I had on my desk, taking a bite here and there to curb my breakfast appetite.

Gosh, those were the early days!

And, on that note…

Quick trivia question:

Which of these cookies was famously credited as the first?… is it the Fig Newton, Animal Cracker, or Chocolate Chip Cookie? (Keep reading, as the answer is below ⬇️).

Choosing the Healthiest Cookie

Healthiest cookie goes to one with no white flour, no added white sugar and no butter. But still tastes amazing like this flourless oat based chocolate chip cookie. — This is a healthy chocolate chip cookie becaue it has no butter, white sugar, and flour.

In choosing cookies, the first step is acknowledging that all cookies are not created equal. You know this without having to think about it twice (or twice baked like a healthy no-sugar or butter biscotti recipe)… but when you’re in the grocery aisle, do you make mostly sensible or sensory decisions?

If you’re not sure or it can vary, take a photo of your grocery cart at the check-out line and evaluate.

Then when you get home, take a look at the Nutrition Facts on the back of the food packaging as though you’re looking for the healthiest cookie out there that you want.

When you look closer and compare, you may find an oatmeal cookie may not be lower in sugar count than a chocolate chip cookie, the one you and the Cookie Monster in your house wanted.

In those pleasantly surprising fact discoveries, if nothing else you get what you want and are happier for your choice! And sometimes you’re shocked at what your old favorites tell you.

You can also compare cookies in the same brand like a Girl Scout Cookie. One GSC can be lower in sugar and another one can be off the charts. They may be made from the same factory, but they have a different makeup.

You can continue reading below how they rank in sugar content as I’ve included in the list. Today, gratefully we have so many healthier choices and from the same brands. Continue reading “Healthiest Cookie and Nutrition Facts Low Down”

Plant-Based Diet to A Balanced Meal Plan

Plant-based diet doesn’t mean you have to give up non-plant based foods like meats. It simply means adding more natural plants into your diet (and less processed plants 🏭).

plate of plant based greens. — A plate of greens is good for adding more plant-based foods into your system 🌱 that are healthy and sustainable (vs. plant based) 🏭

While a full plant-based diet is not what I do, I have incorporated one plant-based meal per day that matters. I share below a meal plan that I think is a good way to maintain a consistently healthy ideal weight, year after year.

Eating healthy and balanced doesn’t just affect your physical body, it also positively impacts your brain, daily thinking mind, and mental health.

Getting proper vitamins and minerals that come from animal proteins help our brains function properly, that helps us keep our mind-body system balance.

I believe that not including fish, meats, carbs, fruits, and vegetables is missing what God gave us here on this earth. We hurt our bodies when we don’t eat enough from any of these categories, or we eat too much.

In most meals, strict vegetarians don’t receive enough vitamins and micronutrients (minerals), some that are richly found in animal protein. Fish that are also considered animal meat, contains necessary B vitamins and good omega fat sources that healthy vegetarians usually come to realize they’re missing.

If only we could take vitamin supplements as a 1:1 nutrient exchange for food, but that’s not the case and especially with diluted vitamin pills.

Here’s just a quick journey into how I evolved into my way of eating today.

Journey to My Daily Meal Plan

I’ve eaten the same general diet for over two decades now, which includes the same food categories that are on the nutritional food charts. That may sound boring, but it has worked to keep me at the same ideal healthy weight.

Growing up, the four basic food groups turned into the FDA-approved 23 servings per day pyramid food group that’s still used. In America, we don’t necessarily take FDA rules as gospel as there are always changes, but that should tell us a ‘lil something. Whether it’s 4 categories or 23 servings, we need many food vitamin sources to function daily, in a healthy way.

When I was a child, my diet contained mostly fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, rice, pasta, whole milk, yogurt, animal proteins, and too many processed snacks. Like many American diets back then when there were less healthy options, I ate more orange salty snacks than orange fruits. Definitely as far away from a plant-based diet as one could see.

Continue reading “Plant-Based Diet to A Balanced Meal Plan”