After searching countless books and websites, I came to the realization that there weren't many recipes out there designed for people with mental illnesses. The healthy recipes I found tended to be complicated, expensive, nasty or required all kinds of kitchen utensils that I didn't have.
To help alleviate that situation, I am going to occasionally post healthy recipes that have met four requirements. They will be simple, affordable, healthy and have passed my family's taste test. Trust me when I tell you, that isn't easy. I have three extraordinarily picky eaters in my house. If the recipe is in the Healthy Recipies That Rock section, I promise that it will have met those four standards. If it's too complicated, then I'll never make it. If it's too expensive, then I won't buy it. If it isn't healthy, I usually won't eat it. And if my wife and daughters don't like it, then I've wasted a great deal of time and money. All recipes will be in JPEG format so that you can click on them to print them off. I hope they are helpful.
The first recipe I am sharing is one of my favorite meals. It takes 10 minutes total and, depending on serving sizes and whether I use organic ingredients or not, costs between 30-50 cents. How can you beat that? One note, if you are just starting out eating healthy foods, and are used to having sweeter foods, then add a little maple syrup (the only ingredient on the back of the bottle should be maple syrup) or a little raw honey. The banana melts into the oatmeal nicely, so we don't use any additional sweetener. If you are just starting out, though, baby steps are much better than no steps. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we do. Note: I like to put blueberries on top of mine. That is what is pictured at the bottom of the page.
(click image to print)
This is a family favorite. It does take an hour, but the majority of that time is waiting for the rice to cook. The actual time spent working on this meal is only about 15 minutes, and it's time well spent. The cost ranges between 20-50 cents per serving, depending on the serving size and if I use organic ingredients or not. Be sure and adjust the chilies to your preference and you'll have to decide how many beans you want to add. If I'm making this for myself, I sometimes add a 1/2 teaspoon of chilies and the whole can of beans. It makes it fiery and full of protein. My wife and daughters don't care for it that way, at all. They prefer 1/8 of a teaspoon of chilies and a 1/2 a can of beans. Of course, white rice can be used if you are new to healthy eating and haven't learned to love brown rice, yet. Simply make step number one step number three. In other words, sautee everything and add the extra ingredients to the pot of white rice and water and then bring to a boil and simmer. Please note that white rice only takes about 20 minutes to cook, not 45 like the brown.
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As always, I wish you wonderful mental health and great successes eating healthy meals. If you, or someone you love, is severely depressed or anxious, please click the link to the right and you will be directed to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. It is a fantastic resource and is staffed by wonderful people.
Feel free to send your questions or comments to:
questions@thementalrunner.org
