Throw it in a bag!

Plastic zip-loc bags are a must. Again, not eco-friendly, but if you're trying to eat healthily but at work for hours, pressed for time or trying to dismantle a bomb, you may not have the time to cook a meal.

So, just throw it in a bag.

If you haven't read my entry about flavor building, shame! Read it! Basically, take the main components of a favorite high-calorie meal and transfer it to a lower-calorie dish. Then, put that dish in a bag.

I was talking with my Neg, and this idea came to me when I suggested she make her own granola. Basically, take a high protein bran-like cereal, freeze-dried or dried fruit, roasted lightly salted nuts, and a bit of spice for added flavor, and you've got portable granola. Kind of like making your own chex mix.

Salads are also easy tho throw in a bag, and you're not limited leaf based. I've bagged mixes using broccoli slaw and pasta. Rice could work as well. I also like squirting a bit of lemon (acid!!!) on my salads, fruit salads in particular. Lemon juice is an excellent alternative to salad dressing, doesn't add extra calories, adds vitamin C and keeps produce bright (retards oxidation)

Obviously, there are things you should avoid bagging: usually liquids, cut tomatoes, things that need heavy refrigeration. But, I've found that if I take a smaller bag or, tiny container, I can bag that stuff in my plastic bag. Things that need cold are often bagged with a mini-ice pack to keep them cold.

Ubiquitous Must Have Item #7

ACID!!!




No, not the acid you trip on. I mean the big C, citric acid, the one you find in citrus fruits like lemons, lime and grapefruit.

A little acid goes a long way. Although citric fruits can be tart and sour, bits of juice and their essential oils behave like the right degree of bass and treble to a song. It amps up the dish's flavor and perks up the subtle notes.

So, what if you hate lemon? Use a lime, tangerine, grapefruit, even strawberries. These all have vast amount of vitamin C, and all of them (except strawberries) can be zested (grated with a hand grater or microplane) to provide the same flavor bump, but without added liquid or juice.

If you're lazy (I could say opposed but not buying fruit and squeezing a slice is kind of lazy) try the bottled kind, but get the true lemon or true orange instead of the concentrate. While the latter keeps really long in the fridge, (I admit to having lemon concentrate, I do -- shame!), it lacks a lil' something, something. I also prefer having the fruit because I can use it for both juicing and zesting; zest in a spice bottle can dry out over time and buying juice in a bottle -- lacks a lil' something something.

I like saying, a lil' something, something.

Just did it again. Anyhow. That's why acid is a must for me. The fruit, not the bad acid.