Birmingham Fit | Birmingham, Alabama

I have spent a lot of time LISTENING to my wife and reading about food. I used to only eat food, now I learn what it is I am actually eating, and I have learned a lot. Here are 5 foods that just absolutely make me feel amazing and I just can’t live without. I am not a nutrition expert, so I have published some links to read up a bit more.

1. Almond Butter: Oh, man is this stuff good. We eat it in oatmeal, on toast with a bit of sweet stuff. We always get the fresh ground stuff from either Whold Foods or Fresh Market. They have a milling machine in the store that you get to run yourself. They usually have peanut butter and honey roast. The kids love that stuff. It’s just ground nuts. Do not be intimidated by the machine. Get in there and learn how to work it. Eat that stuff, it’s goooood for you. Here’s a write up from Best Natural Foods.com on Almond Butter.
2. Pearled Barley : This actually has more fiber than Whole Brown Rice. About 2g more per serving, and it’s a bit cheaper. It takes about the same amount of time to cook, 40-50 min, but it rocks.  Simmer it in some organic chicken broth – NO MSG and add a few chopped portobello mushrooms to simmer – super side dish
3. Agave Nectar : We eat this a good bit instead of honey – and yes, it comes from a plant. It’s a low glycemic index food, so it absorbs into your system slower thus not causing a spike in blood sugar. Walmart even sells this stuff now. It’s located around the baking goods and looks just like a squeeze tube of honey. They also have some that looks like Syrup - Honey Tree organic agaive nectar – eat it on my pancakes – woohoo good!
4. Portobello Mushrooms : What can’t you do with these – They taste so smokey, and robust, we grill them, mostly on the George Foreman Grill with a little soy sauce – and add to noodles or just eat plain – any kind of pasta. They are a good little source of protein without having to eat meat.
5. Cottage Cheese : This is a basic one, but this is one of my night snacks when I want something kind of sweet or dairy – instead of ice cream but the protein is there to make me forget about food for the rest of the night. The best cottage cheese I have had is either the Breakstone 2% or the Cabot 4% – seems to work the same on the fat scale as the milk you buy.