Pasta salad and the magic of farro

This has been a busy week since we're wrapping up the Kindergarten school year, preschool camps ended, I did the DUTCH hormone test (no caffeine, limited fluids for a day... ugh) AND I'm finishing the content for my first workshop in a couple weeks. Oh yeah, plus hammering out plans for some more in the area. Exciting! I know you moms totally get that feeling of 50% excitement/ 50% overwhelm with all "good" things that can still be a lot to keep on the mental load.

As far as lunches, I've reaffirmed my love affair with farro -- not since it's particularly tasty on its own but because it's a nutritional powerhouse AND ridiculously easy to throw in meals with some regularity. Also, elevating a pasta salad with chickpea pasta takes what would be a more starch heavy meal to a game-changing one for protein and fiber.

Prep Ahead: Pasta Salad

What I like about this lunch dish is it can last for multiple meals, packs well in the car/cooler and has so much flexibility based on whatever veggies you have. PS - this is another recipe where jarred roasted red peppers are a great flavor addition. I used pasta, cucumber, roasted red peppers, black beans, cheese and tried the dressing I'd made earlier that day (Salt and Lavender's Chipotle Cilantro Lime Ranch dressing.) The dressing worked but I think I prefer the olive oil/vinegar/salt/pepper/italian seasoning route in a pasta salad. Ideally I'd use more veggies but I went with what I had that day.

Ingredients:

• Pasta (Chickpea, lentil or whole wheat are my fav’s)

• Meat (salami, pepperoni, any meat can work)

• Greens (arugula or spinach)

• Cucumbers

• Avocado

• Tomatoes

• Cheese (optional)

• Dressing (any clean ingredient store bought like Tessamae's, Primal Kitchen, or Bragg's) or the olive oil/vinegar/seasoning combo that I love on mostly all things!

Nutrition note: Lentil or Chickpea pastas are my favorite since they have more protein and fiber than traditional white pastas. Sometimes I use 100% whole wheat pastas but I find chickpea to have a less noticeable taste and texture difference than lentil.

Assembly: Cook the pasta to full cook time. Let it cool somewhat before adding everything else and tossing with dressing.

Grab and Go: Farro

I'm making a goal to use Farro whenever I can and the easiest way to do that is cook up 2 cups of it and keep it ready to go. Here's how to have a quick lunch ready with a farro kick. Reminder: farro is a super dense, nutritious grain similar to quinoa or barley.

• Make or buy any salad. A couple weeks ago I shared a Trader Joe's organic mediterranean salad that's a great pre-bought option for two lunches. (Heck you could even throw some Farro on a Chipotle or Cava bowl if you're doing it takeout!)

• Making salads is a lot easier if you have pre-washed organic greens and salad dressing ready to go. This is where my vinaigrette always comes in handy.

• Greens and veggies alone just won't keep you full for long but throwing on 1 cup of farro has some REAL staying power.

• Oh yeah -- walnuts. Don't forget my "crumbled walnuts hack" for all salads too. Walnuts are the most antioxidant rich nut of all and they have a TON of health benefits - calcium, iron, magnesium and folate to name a few. They may reduce risks of some cancers and lower risks of heart disease and high cholesterol. Also, they're anti-inflammatory which helps combat all diseases.

This week's goal: try to cook up some farro, throw it in a salad -- AND if you're really feeling the farro vibe, toss it with some chopped veggies and the same simple vinaigrette I keep talking about. I'm going to be doing that this coming week for sure!

Please do let me know if you're trying any of these lunch ideas. I get such a thrill out of sharing solutions that help so keep me posted as your lunches evolve!

Lastly -- if you want to get in my 3 weeks in July clean up group it's all online and not too late! Just reply to this email if you want to see details on what you get for $30.

In a nutshell, this program will give you a FULL ACTION PLAN to gradually reduce toxins in ALL areas for the entire family. Win!