3 Foods I Eat But Don’t Tell You About

One is green, one is controversial, and the other is gross (actually two are gross). Here are three foods I eat regularly, why I eat them, and why I haven’t told you about them. Let’s start with green (it’s an easy one).

Sprouts

Sprouts are packed with nutrition including healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and more. That is why I eat them. I occasionally put them on a salad, but I’m not thrilled with their flavor and prefer them in a smoothie. I usually buy sunflower sprouts, and sometimes they have beets sprouts mixed in with them.

Why I haven’t told you about them: Mostly because I use them in smoothies and not other recipes, but also because they are expensive. Last summer I tried briefly to grow my own using the jar method. It molded too easily and I decided to wait for colder weather, but then never got around to trying it again. I’d love to hear tips from those of you who grow your own sprouts.

Kombucha

Okay, this is a beverage not a food, but I add it to my smoothies so I think of it as part of my food. Kombucha, which is a fermented sweet tea, isn’t gross, though my homemade version can get a pretty strong vinegar odor to it. What totally grosses out my family is the SCOBY or “mother.”

SCOBY stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It’s what turns the sweet tea into a probiotic drink with lots of health benefits.

Why I haven’t told you about it: I’ve been making kombucha for well over a year, but I don’t think I’m great at it. It’s easy to make, but it’s one more thing to do, and I often neglect it. I have not mastered the art of getting it bubbly (which is fine for a smoothie), or flavoring it. So most people wouldn’t be too fond of my kombucha. By adding it to smoothies, I get the benefits and don’t have to worry about how it tastes. Occasionally I buy bottled kombucha that I really like by itself. I like GTs brand, which is low in sugar. If you like something sweeter there are other brands.

I also want to note that kombucha reacts with metal. Therefore, I add it to my smoothie after the other ingredients have been blended. I use water or nut milk as the liquid base for my smoothie, and after the vegetables are smooth, I add about 1/2 cup kombucha, pulse, and pour into a glass. I then immediately rinse the blender jar so that no kombucha is left in contact with the metal blade.

Raw Eggs from Local Pastured Hens

This is the one that is both controversial and gross. It is making some of you gasp and say, “Ewwww.” First, I have to say that the source of the eggs is very important. Salmonella is much more likely to be found in eggs that are mass produced.

I get most of my eggs from my sister-in-law who lives locally and has hens. When her hens aren’t laying well for some reason, I go with pastured hen eggs sold at a local health food store.

Why do I eat raw eggs? Eggs are very nutritious. Some say they are the perfect food. As with most foods, cooking destroys some of those nutrients.

Also, I’ve always loved and eaten a lot of eggs. But eggs are one of the top eight allergens, and I have feared developing an allergy to them. Some people believe that it is cooked egg whites that usually cause allergies to develop, and that by eating them raw the risk of allergies is reduced. However, I’ve also heard the opposite. So I eat both cooked and raw eggs.

Isn’t it gross? When put in a smoothie, the texture of the raw egg is not noticeable. In fact, it helps make the smoothie rich and creamy.

Why I haven’t told you about it: Because I don’t think it’s something most people would be interested in, and because I am not qualified to recommend eating something that many people would say is unsafe. I’m telling you what I do, but you need to research it yourself to decide what is safe for you, especially if you have additional health problems, are pregnant, or elderly.

Smoothies – how I eat these foods

The common reason why I haven’t told you about each of these foods is because I mostly eat them in smoothies, and I don’t seem to create smoothie recipes.

I eat smoothies almost daily for their nutrition much more than I do for their flavor. So, my smoothies aren’t necessarily something a lot of people would like. Also, I think smoothies are so easy to make—just add whatever YOU like or want to eat more of.

A smoothie can be made with any blender or Magic Bullet, but I love using my Blendtec blender. No matter what you use, a smoothie is a great way to add nutritious foods to your diet.