I’m so grateful for your enthusiasm for the Capsule Kitchen Challenge. The challenge begins on January 2nd, but you can join anytime. You are welcome to create your own list or work with mine if it works for you.
How to Choose ingredients for the Capsule Kitchen Challenge
1. Pick Your poison
Choose one ingredient that you’ve been trying to kick: sugar, flour, meat, cheese, processed foods …
2. Look for versatility
Choose 3-5 core go-to recipes/meals that have similar ingredients. Add them to your list.
3. Choose your favorites
Aim for mostly whole, nutritious food, but love every item on your list.
4. Add your drinks
Water doesn’t count, but add in other things you drink.
5. Sleep on it
Review your list after a good night’s sleep and make adjustments.
My List
I’ll be sharing recipes from my favorite food bloggers based on the following ingredients. I used the steps above to create my list. My poison for this first round of the capsule kitchen challenge is sugar. The more I eat, the more I want, so I want to drastically limit my sugar intake. I’ll be getting my sweets from fruit, and won’t be using any added sugar.
- spinach
- broccoli
- kale
- tomatoes
- asparagus
- lettuce
- peppers
- avocados
- onion
- celery
- Portobello mushrooms
- garbanzo beans
- lentils
- bananas
- frozen berries
- veggie broth
- vegan protein powder
- almond milk
- almonds
- almond butter
- eggs
- tomato sauce
- tomato puree
- salsa
- tortilla chips
- gnocchi
- quinoa
- potatoes
- whole wheat pita
- corn tortillas
- red wine
- coffee
- tea
Flavor boosters: (I’ll be using these to pump up the volume but only 1 tablespoon or less) olive oil, coconut oil, earth balance, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, turmeric, ginger, curry powder, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, flax-seed, chia seed, unsweetened cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla
The core recipes I based my list on include 2 soups, 2 smoothies, salads and street tacos. I’ll be sharing those recipes and more next month.
Rules Recap
When: Every three months (It’s never too late to start so join in anytime!)
What: 33 items including food & drinks
What not: don’t count flavor boosters: anything you would use to pump up the flavor of your meal – oil, vinegar, spices, condiments. It’s in this category if you use a tablespoon or less in your recipe.
How: Choose your 33 items and create meals for 3 months with those ingredients. Be specific with your ingredient choices.
What else: When in Rome: If you are traveling or in a situation where sticking with your 33 ingredients is too stressful, put a hold on the challenge and get back to it when you can.
For more details & F.A.Q.s visit The Capsule Kitchen Challenge.
How to participate in the capsule kitchen challenge
- Make your own list and commit to it in the comment section of this post. (if you are reading this in email, you’ll have to come on over to comment)
- If you have a blog, write about the challenge and link back to this post. I’ll be sharing your posts!
- Join the Facebook group by clicking this link. This is a public Facebook group. (I won’t be participating in the group until January 2015 but look forward to connecting then)
- If you are a food blogger, create a recipe for me based on the ingredients listed above. Make it and post it on your blog with a pretty picture and send me a link. I’ll share it here on Pinterest with other great recipes and on a special recipe page.
- Attend the live webinar. My friend Heidi and I will be answering your questions and sharing stories with a webinar coming your way the end of January.
- Write it down. Keep an online or paper journal.
- Use the hashtag. If you are posting pics of your meals on Instagram or sharing your thoughts on Twitter, use the hashtag #capsulekitchen.
